


What Lies Beneath

by sagely_sea



Series: King's Assassin [7]
Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-10-20 22:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10671621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagely_sea/pseuds/sagely_sea
Summary: Tezuka, a former assassin and current advisor to the king of Hyoutei, certainly has his hands full. There's a wedding to attend on the other side of the kingdom, pirates to handle, potential treason to deal with, and the usual court intrigue. But Tezuka owes Atobe a life debt and he'll do his best to repay it in every way he can. It's certainly not because he's fallen for the arrogant king.





	1. Travelling Plans

Oshitari stood and bowed as Atobe entered the room even as Atobe motioned for him to stop and to sit. “No need for that,” Atobe said. 

Still, it didn’t hurt to show the man his respect and loyalty, especially with a servant in the doorway. But it was nice to know that Atobe didn’t expect it from him. 

“Are you here alone?” Oshitari asked, his gaze shifting to the doorway as he moved back to his seat. Normally by now whoever was accompanying him would be peeking into the room to see if their presence was required or welcomed. 

“Of course not. Kabaji is here with me,” Atobe said as he sat in his usual high back chair. 

“Only Kabaji? Where are your attendants? Or your advisor? I know how reluctant he’s been to let you out of his sight since the attack at the games.” Oshitari thought it was quite cute of the usually stoic Tezuka to show his concern so openly. 

“Only Kabaji and my guards… for now,” Atobe said and glanced at the door himself. 

“For now? Are you expecting someone?” Oshtari rather hoped it would be some of the handsome noble attendants that Atobe usually had circling. He was thinking of one in particular and could admit he was a bit disappointed that the king had left him behind. 

“Tezuka. I sent him on an errand. I expect he’ll track me down here before long.” 

That was intriguing. Tezuka didn’t normally like being used as an errand boy unless it was necessary to keep up the facade of a diligent and loyal advisor. But then maybe the errand was something only an advisor and assassin could handle. Or perhaps, Oshitari thought wistfully to himself, it was the type of an errand only a lover would do. 

He had certainly been more than willing to run silly errands with and for Shishido from time to time. Speaking of, it really was quite odd for Atobe to only have his guards with him, especially if he planned on sending Tezuka away. “I see… and your attendants?” 

“Overseeing the packing of our belongings for the trip, of course. I assured them that with my guards and my advisor we would be just fine on our own. They seemed more than willing to give us privacy on our trip after that,” Atobe said brushing back some hair from his face. 

Oshitari had no doubt that the attendants thought that Atobe and Tezuka were sneaking out for a date and not whatever it was they were really up to. “So about this errand…” 

“Unimportant. I just needed a reason for him to give us some time alone.”

Now that had Oshitari’s attention. He leaned forward to hear more and then made a face as two servants swept into the room to prepare tea and deliver a tray of sweets for them. Oshitari dismissed them as swiftly as possible and Atobe watched the door as they left then let out a laugh. 

“They certainly have amazing timing,” Atobe said. 

“That they do. Now tell me. Why did you need me alone.” 

Atobe leaned forward to add milk to his tea and set a biscuit on the saucer before sitting back in his chair. “I need to know if you’ve heard anything from Rikkai.” 

Ah, that would explain why having Tezuka absent would be wise. The man had loyalties to Rikkai that seemed complex and while Oshitari trusted Tezuka enough to honour his agreement to pay off his debt to Atobe he wasn’t sure he trusted him with all things relating to the kingdom of his birth. 

“What sort of thing are you hoping for?” Oshitari asked. Officially, he played no public role in Atobe’s court but in reality, he had a rather widespread information network that kept him in the middle of all news and gossip no matter how frivolous. 

“Any news on the rebellion that is fighting against Rikkai. And if Rikkai is showing any signs of further retaliation for what they consider our part in it,” Atobe said.

“It seems there has been stirring of a rebel group for a while now. Though the attacks seem small and more annoying to the emperor than truly worrisome. At least until the attack at the tournament. They must have decided to take advantage of the festive atmosphere and Hyoutei’s less guarded state.”

Atobe nodded and took a small bite of his cookie. He was sure his king had figured that much out already but it bore repeating anyway. 

“It’s being whispered that the Emperor’s captain of the guard has been missing since shortly after the emperor’s return,” Oshitari added on. 

“Oh? Has he taken ill? Perhaps that’s the reason he didn’t journey here with the emperor and his entourage.”

“It’s possible. There’s also whispers of him finally being fired or jailed. It seems the emperor’s arguments with his captain are somewhat legendary.” 

“Then why would he keep such a man in his employ? Especially as the man in charge of his personal protection,” Atobe said. He seemed honestly perplexed by such a thing. But Oshitari supposed that when someone had had the steadfast and quiet support of Kabaji their whole life it was hard to image a captain acting in any other way. 

“It’s said that his skills go far beyond what anyone else can accomplish and that he is a favourite of Yukimura’s,” Oshitari let the last statement hang in the air. They both suspected that the emperor’s religious advisor had more power in the empire than was shown. 

“I see… and he’s gone missing?” 

“Yes. He’s not been seen at court for some time now. Though that may change by the time the next update comes. Still, the timing seems too much of a coincidence to ignore.” 

“I agree. But has he been sent off to hunt rebels or is he on some secret mission that may harm us?” 

“I couldn’t say. Hopefully, the next batch of rumours to come my way will be more useful,” Oshitari said. 

“Will your informants know how to reach you in the coming weeks?” Atobe asked. 

“They should. Though do you really plan to be out of the capital for that long?” Atobe had decided, much to his court’s horror, to attend the elder Shishido brother’s wedding in person, at their estate. The sudden decision came as quite a surprise to everyone, including the Shishido family that had hoped to hold the wedding in the capital - a much more prestigious location and much less taxing on one’s wealth as there was no need to host all those travelling in for the momentous occasion. 

Oshitari had thought at first to wave it off as Atobe being fickle and perhaps even wanting to be contrary and take advantage of the silly law that forced him to approve of marriages within the nobility. A law that also said he was freely invited to all weddings. 

But the younger Shishido brother was one of his favoured courtiers and his king would not want to hurt him just out of boredom and pettiness. Which meant the wedding was being used to cover up something else. Oshitari found it odd he wasn’t invited in on what it could be but there was always numerous reasons to play out a game like this close to one’s chest. 

Oshitari just hoped the reason did not involve the Shishidos. It was cruel to use them as a cover as the financial burden of hosting such a fete on their lands would be a strain on their finances for years to come but it would be so much worse if the Shishido family was being held in suspicion of wrongdoings, especially wrongdoings against the crown. 

He debated asking Atobe about it for a moment and caught the look the king was giving him. Atobe was clearly seeing the thoughts going through his head and the stern look being sent his way was telling him it was best to let it be for now. 

“I have several things I wish to accomplish while I’m on that side of the kingdom. It’s so far from the capital that I do not wish our people there to forget that even though the physical distance is far my presence and care still reaches them,” Atobe said. He then leaned over to set his teacup back down on the table and leaned back in the chair. 

“But enough of that. I have another question I need answering before my advisor returns. Has there been any mention of him in Rikkai or the emperor’s court?”

And with that question, Atobe had efficiently shut down any more talk about his upcoming travels and focused them once more on Rikkai. 

“Only the usual gossip you would expect from having found out he’s now the advisor to the king of Hyoutei. It seems it was expected in most circles in Rikkai that once he had finished his gallivanting about that he would return and become the emperor’s advisor. Most, I hear, believe Tezuka to have been travelling to expand his knowledge and understanding of other countries and cultures as well as to build up relationships and ties to various courts.” 

“I see… though it seems odd that the assassin’s guild would be so well known in the empire but that the members could still enjoy such anonymity if they chose to,” Atobe said. 

“It does. Though I think it’s because, as Tezuka mentioned, that his family was unique in that his father’s side had close ties to the court. I don’t think many look beyond those for him,” Oshitari said. People liked to believe what they saw on the surface, especially if it fit neatly into a narrative they were already building in their head. 

“Do you think Tezuka would have ever settled down and become Sanada’s advisor?” Atobe asked. 

Oshitari was silent a moment as he considered Tezuka and then the situation in Rikkai. “No.”

“Really? Why not?” Atobe asked. It was clear he had already drawn up his own ideas on the matter but wished to hear what Oshitari had to say about it. 

“I’ve gotten the feeling from him that he does not fully approve of the way the empire is expanding and threatening those around it. And also, I do not think Yukimura would approve of such an appointment. There seemed to be quite the tension between the two.” And Oshitari doubted all that tension was just because they were duelling.

“I agree. Which is why I intend to keep Tezuka exactly where he is for as long as possible.” 

“By where he is, do you by chance mean in your bed?” Oshitari asked, a teasing smirk taking over his face. 

“Shush. You know what I mean,” Atobe said. It was cute how his arrogant king could become flustered when Oshitari brought up his romance with the assassin. 

“Of course. Now is there anything else you wish to know before he returns?” 

“Anything else can wait. Though I would like your input on a few ideas I’ve been considering to help with our current trading problems.” 

“Losing access to Rikkai waters is certainly a blow. But I’m sure we’ll find a way around it,” Oshitari said. The way around it may not be completely ethical or perhaps not as cheap as they’d like but to flourish as a kingdom trade routes had to be established and quickly. The current tariffs and inspections being enforced by Rikkai were all but crippling their ships. 

“I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the pirate named Kite. He’s supposed to excel at moving goods,” Atobe said. 

“You’re thinking of going with pirates?” Oshitari was fairly surprised by that move. But even as he asked that his mind was already weighing the pros and cons and he could see the allure to giving money to pirates instead of the Rikkai Empire. But it was not without risk. 

“I’m planning on thoroughly examining all of my options. I’m arranging a meeting with him while near Port Kagami. I don’t want pirates gallivanting around the capital.”

“I suppose it makes more sense to meet them out of the way then. Would you like me to further investigate this pirate captain?” Oshitari asked. He didn’t really have many connections in the pirate world but he was sure some of his acquaintances in the merchant and traders guilds would have heard at least rumours about the man. 

“If you could. I want to go into the meeting as informed as possible.” 

“Then you’ll be consulting your assassin?” Oshitari asked. He leaned forward to refresh both of their teas from the pot and placed a piece of cake on his plate. 

“In time. You know how he’s been lately. I don’t need him worrying about one friendly meeting between myself and a pirate.” 

Oshitari chuckled at Atobe’s put out look. “You say that. But I’m quite sure that you’ve been enjoying the extra attention from him. I dare you to say you haven’t.” 

Atobe flicked his hair back out of his face and then stared at Oshitari before picking up his tea and fussing with it for a moment. “You know I always enjoy the attention. Especially from handsome men staying in the Queen’s suite of rooms.” 

“That was a very roundabout way of saying you’re enjoying every minute of attention,” Oshitari said still chuckling. 

“Hush you,” Atobe countered in his most royal voice. 

That just caused Oshitari to laugh all the more but before he could continue teasing, the man in question stepped into the room as if summoned by their talk. 

“Your Majesty, Lord Oshitari,” Tezuka said with a small bow. A courtesy he likely wouldn’t have given if it wasn’t for the staff member trailing in his wake. 

“Tezuka, what a pleasant surprise. Please make yourself comfortable. We were just discussing the little tour, his majesty is planning,” Oshitari said gesturing for Tezuka to take a seat and then motioning for the servant to withdraw.

“I’m sure you were,” Tezuka said eyeing them both as he set aside the parcel he was carrying and sat down gracefully on the chair. 

Oshitari may have had his initial doubts about Tezuka but he was glad that each day those were proved false. Especially since it was such a joy to watch Tezuka, he moved with such grace and sophistication which Oshitari was sure was a combination of a noble upbringing and deadly assassin training. Though even more than that, he enjoyed watching Tezuka interact with Atobe and slowly become more receptive to his king’s bullish attempts at seducing the man that had tried to kill him. 

“Did you get everything like we asked?” Atobe asked, obviously using his more royal speech as the servant was likely still near. 

“Yes. And I finished the errand you asked me to do, too,” Tezuka said. He then pulled an envelope out of an inside pocket of his jacket and passed it over to Atobe who immediately stowed it away in a similar location without lingering to look at it or allowing Oshitari to see it properly.

How intriguing. Oshitari was sure he could find out most of the places Tezuka had visited while Atobe was here but he also knew that if Tezuka didn’t want his location to be known it would be quite difficult for Oshitari to track him. Though not being able to track Tezuka’s movements would help Oshitari find out if the requests were inane or something more troublesome and secretive. 

“I can hear the gears of your mind working from here, Yuushi,” Atobe said. And the use of his first name caught his attention. It wasn’t rare for Atobe to use it, but he mostly did when trying to emphasize a point or if they’d been drinking a bit too much. 

“And? You present a curious puzzle to me and expect gears not to turn?” 

“Of course not. It was probably rude to tempt you like this. But as your king, though mostly as your friend, don’t go looking into this, Yuushi,” Atobe said. 

Oshitari looked from Atobe to Tezuka, who was giving nothing away, and then back to Atobe. “Not even to ask to what’s in the bag?” That he assumed was something he could ask about though that mystery letter was not. 

“Items that will be needed on the trip,” Tezuka answered before Atobe could. 

“Such as?” Oshitari leaned forward to try and get a look inside. 

“A few personal items as well as some gifts.” 

Atobe nodded in agreement to Tezuka’s statement. Oshitari wondered how much of that was essential that Tezuka pick up himself now and how much was devised just to keep him busy. “Well, I suppose it’s good to be prepared as you’ll be gone several weeks.” 

“We’ll,” Atobe corrected. 

Oshitari frowned at that. He did plan on going to the Shishido estate for the wedding and to spend a week there with Shishido being given the full tour of the area but the last he checked he had not agreed to being dragged across the kingdom as part of the king’s entourage. “No. I’m quite sure we made separate plans.” 

“We did. But now they have joined.” 

“Is there a reason for the joining?” 

“Do we need a reason to want our loyal subject near us?” Atobe asked in his kingly voice. 

“No. But one would be nice to give to his friend anyway.” 

“I thought you’d enjoy a chance to spend more time with Shishido. He’s decided to stay with us until we’re only a couple of days out. Then he plans to ride ahead and help with the last of the preparations. You’d be more than welcome to go with him then.” 

Oshitari eyed Atobe closely. His friend and king did enjoy spoiling people. And inviting him along on what could be a rather exciting trip across the kingdom where he would have limited responsibilities and plenty of time to spend in the company of one of his lovely attendants was certainly a way to be spoiled. But he also felt there was more to it than that. But was he the one being distracted or was Shishido. 

He really did not like where this was going. And unfortunately, the only way to see where it truly was going and to try to improve the outcome for himself and for Shishido was to go along with the king for now. 

“When put so sweetly, how could I resist? But your reasons make me more nervous about this than reassured,” Oshitari pointed out. 

Tezuka shook his head at the two and then leaned forward to make himself tea. “I believe he’s saying you laid it on too thickly, Atobe. He’s going to start thinking that you really do want him digging into this mystery despite what you say.” 

Oshitari sighed. He had been thinking just that. And now he wasn’t sure if Tezuka was calling Atobe out to further reinforce Atobe’s stance or to make sure that he did the opposite. 

“As if you are helping,” Atobe said. “If I left it up to you, half the people involved would likely have disappeared by now.” 

Tezuka’s lips quirked up the barest hint and Oshitari was momentarily distracted by the mystery as he once again was given a front row seat to the intricacies of Atobe and Tezuka’s odd relationship. 

“I’m not that ruthless nor careless,” Tezuka said. 

“Perhaps not normally. But are you going to say you have not been extra protective of me of late?” Atobe asked leaning so he was half draped across the arm of his chair toward Tezuka. 

“I dropped my guard and you were nearly killed for it. I don’t think anyone would object to me taking extra precautions.” 

“As much as I enjoy having you in my bed, it would be much more exciting if the cause was not your fear of my guards' inability to do their job.” 

Tezuka sighed and then reached over to lay a hand lightly on Atobe’s arm. “You are a king and you have enemies. I only wish to keep you safe from those enemies. But I am not going to go around recklessly murdering half of the kingdom to do so no matter what you think…. I do have some restraint….” 

Oddly, the last bit caused Atobe to laugh and after giving Tezuka’s hand on his arm a pat he fell back into his chair. “Some. But not much.” He laughed some more and Oshitari knew he was going to have to ask Shishido if he had heard or witnessed an event that Atobe would consider a moment of Tezuka failing to have restraint. He was surprised he hadn’t heard about it already though with his attention focused toward Rikkai at Atobe’s request, it was easy enough to miss some of the going ons at the castle. 

“If you two have finished flirting, I do believe we were supposed to be discussing the finer details of this trip that I am now going on.” 

“Yes. Yes. Of course. I think I have that out of my system now,” Atobe said with a final chuckle. Tezuka seemed mildly put out but said nothing as he sipped his tea. 

Oshitari may not have wanted to go along with them on their kingdom tour to the Shishido estate but he certainly would enjoy the front row seat as Atobe and Tezuka’s relationship continued to evolve. He was sure the time away from the capital would give them ample time to delve deeper into their romantic sides… he hoped. 

 

-0---0-0-0---0-0-0---0-

 

Tezuka looked up as his secretary, Nishikori, knocked on the semi-open door before entering. He had a stack of papers and envelopes with him that made Tezuka internally cringe. He was never one to shirk his duties or his studies but since taking up more actual duties as Atobe’s advisor he found himself practically buried under a mountain of papers each day. 

He had optimistically hoped to escape some of it during their travels to the Shishido estate but it seemed that such things were going to find him wherever he was. And currently, he was holed up in the suite of rooms assigned to Atobe during his stay at a Duke’s residence just under three days of riding from the capital. Atobe had apparently commandeered several rooms on the first floor for as his office and meeting area but with space rapidly running out - a King did not travel with a small entourage and they had to share space with the duke’s already sizeable household staff - Tezuka decided to set up his own office in Atobe’s rooms. 

There were several reasons for that decision with the biggest being that it was quiet and he actually had his own space and even an anteroom to hold all those that were waiting to see him or were working under him. He wasn’t exactly sure when or how he had acquired his own staff but was mostly thankful for them as his workload showed no sign of decreasing. 

He also chose this location because he hoped that if he was not in the middle of the court being held on the first floor he might actually avoid some of the work. He also was hopeful that by being out of sight and in a room that most people would be to intimidated to approach that it would deter people from seeking him out. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no luck that as it seemed that word was getting out that if they had less than wonderful news to share that it was best to go through Atobe’s advisor and lover. It also seemed people believed that going through him was more effective than going through any of the normal channels. 

Which was ridiculous as he really should have no power over decisions made for the treasury, the military or even agriculture. The fact that he actually did seem to have power over them and numerous other parts of the kingdom was both astounding and worrisome. People should not be so willing to hand over such power to an unknown man who really only had a position because people believed the king enjoyed spoiling his favourite bedwarmer. It was even worse that so many of Atobe’s ministers seemed happy to let him make decisions when he in fact only had this position so that Atobe could abuse the life debt owed to him by the man who tried to assassinate him in the middle of the night. 

But that was another reason Tezuka was here. Having permission and the audacity to set up his office in the inner sanctum of the king’s suite only confirmed people’s belief that the two of them were intimate and Tezuka held the king’s favour and attention. Atobe had been more than delighted to approve Tezuka’s idea saying something ridiculous about always knowing where to find Tezuka and rather enjoying the thought of the man waiting for him in his rooms if not specifically his bed. Atobe was ridiculous as always but, Tezuka thought with a small smile, also wonderfully clever and ruthless when he desired. 

Before his thoughts could be sidetracked further, he held out his hand for the papers that his secretary had. “I didn’t think we were expecting any more post runs today,” Tezuka said. He had thought he would actually be done today’s work early enough to enjoy a ride before supper. It seemed he would have to push back such adventuring until the evening but he supposed that suited the purpose of his ride just as well. 

“Apparently several documents came by sea just after the earlier post was sent out. They felt it best to not delay them by waiting a day,” Nishikori said. 

Tezuka nodded and began to skim through the documents that Nishikori had passed him. Most of them could have easily had waited until tomorrow’s post arrived but he assumed the most time sensitive documents had ended up with Atobe’s secretaries. But there was one letter that might require an immediate response from him.

“Thank you Nishikori. Can you add this to the post heading back to the capital today? And I’ll let you know if there’s anything that needs to be added.” Tezuka set down the papers he had been given and picked up a stack of papers that were ready to be transported back to the capital. He handed them to the secretary with a thank you and watched as he left the room. 

With Atobe and numerous nobles and ministers out of the capital daily courier runs between the capital and the King’s current residence was a common thing. He imagined the inns along the highway were enjoying the boost in business and made a note on a paper to speak with Kabaji about the number of guards and soldiers making rounds and stationed along the route. The further Atobe moved into the countryside towards the Shishido estate the more people transporting important documents would be moving along the route. It would be wise to safeguard them against any bandits who thought to prosper off of them. He assumed Kabaji and the general had already thought of such things but it never hurt to confirm. Especially if foreign royalty was going to be sending missives. 

Tezuka stared down at the wax seal of the king of Seigaku and wondered just what Echizen had to say that it was being directed at him and not Atobe. With the official seal, he doubted it was Echizen’s usual letters of requests to visit and enter the prestigious knight’s tournament held there each year. 

Breaking the seal, Tezuka opened the envelope and took out the letter and once again wished that Echizen’s tutors had been stricter when Echizen had been a prince. His penmanship was not what it should be. Neither was his etiquette. It was one thing for a spoiled prince to make such demands and mistakes. It was another for a king - no matter how young and inexperienced said king might be. 

He would have to write to Oishi to see if he could speak some sense into Echizen and remind him of how one sovereign was supposed to talk to another and how it could be seen as hostile to show up uninvited. Not that Tezuka wouldn’t enjoy seeing Echizen and see how he had grown in their time apart but he did not feel that bringing Echizen and Atobe together would lead to anything good. 

This letter also made it clear that Echizen’s older brother, Ryoga, was either not taking his role of regent seriously or was far too fond of his little brother and happy to indulge him in even the most ridiculous of plans. Tezuka considered just for a moment about penning Ryoga a letter as well but then thought better of it. They had never been close and he didn’t want to appear as equally rude back by pushing into places he didn’t belong. 

He pulled out several pieces of paper not watermarked with the crest of Hyoutei and debated what to write to the headstrong youth. 

“You look as if you could use a break,” A voice purred from the door.

“I’m sorry, lord Tezuka. He said that it was urgent and wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Nishikori said, popping up beside Oshitari and shooting the man dark looks between apologetic ones sent Tezuka’s way. 

Tezuka waved him off. He doubted there were few people who could stop Oshitari from doing what he wanted. Never mind that he was a titled lord and wealthier than most, he was also good friends with the king who notoriously indulged him more than he should. “It’s fine. I should probably take a break anyway.” 

Tezuka rose and gestured for Oshitari to take a seat. He then moved to the door to close it tightly before sitting across from Oshitari in the small sitting area. 

“Your secretary is rather protective of you. Or is it scared?” Oshitari asked as he set down the tray of tea and snacks he carried. 

“Both I believe. He got quite the lecture after letting people come and go into my office as they pleased,” Tezuka said. He then leaned forward and helped himself to the tea, pouring a second cup for Oshitari. 

“I see. Now, what had you looking so contemplative before I arrived? Surely the work finding you here is not so dire.”

Tezuka gave a half smile as he relaxed back into his seat. He took a sip of his tea as he assessed Oshitari. He suspected the man was still trying to solve some of the secrets that Atobe and him were keeping him out of. But Tezuka wasn’t about to share those as the man across from him could potentially put a wrinkle in Atobe’s unfolding plans despite not being directly involved with the problem. 

Fortunately, that’s not what was causing him troubles. “I received a letter from King Echizen. He wishes to come to see me and says that no monkey king should be allowed to deny him seeing his tutor.” 

Oshitari blinked and then laughed. “Did he actually call Atobe a monkey king? His majesty will become quite angered if ever hears that.” 

“That is putting it mildly. Rest of the letter is not much better. I’m afraid I have to walk a fine balance with him if we wish to keep up our good relationship with the country. I also plan on penning a letter to one of his advisors.” Tezuka left unsaid what he was going to write to the advisor about but he was sure Oshitari could guess. 

“Why is he so determined to see you anyway? I know you have quite a reputation there and was his tutor for a time but surely you two did not bond so deeply. Is it a crush?” Oshitari asked before picking at the sweets he had brought up. 

Tezuka shook his head a bit amused at the idea of Echizen having a crush on him… or anyone. Unless things had changed drastically in the past year then he was sure Echizen was still more focused on his fighting skills and now running a country than he was of amorous feelings. 

“No. Not a crush. Though something just as annoying,” Tezuka said. He took a sip of his tea before deciding to just tell Oshitari his thoughts on why Echizen was so infatuated with seeing him again. 

“I don’t see what could be more annoying than a one-sided crush. It is good for neither party, trust me,” Oshitari said. 

“Echizen is the type of person who enjoys a challenge and defeating all who stand in his way. His goal used to be his father… but unfortunately the king was taken from him before he could ever show him up as a fighter.” Tezuka didn’t see the need to remind Oshitari just how Echizen came to lose his father so suddenly before such a quest could be accomplished. 

“His focus has now shifted to me. He sees me as the strongest fighter he knows and as he could never best me when I was his tutor it’s obvious that he still wishes to do so. As his tutor, it was good that he had that drive and determination to grow and defeat me. But now, it seems to lead to letters like that one,” Tezuka said gesturing to his desk. 

“Yes, I suppose that is rather annoying. He strikes me as stubborn as well so I doubt you’ll easily convince him that he does not need to best you to be a great fighter in his own right.”

Tezuka nodded and took a final sip of his tea before setting it back down onto the tray. “It’s unfortunate that he had to become a king so young. He has an enormous amount of potential and is an amazing learner when he wishes to apply himself. I’m sure he would have made a reputation for himself in the dueling tournaments if had had a chance to participate.” A prince may enter such things in his youth but a king, no matter how young, would be frowned at for doing so. 

“Yes. There is always fallout when a ruler dies seemingly before his time,” Oshitari said vaguely enough but with enough real regret to show that he still did not fully support the decision to kill someone even if it was for the good of both kingdoms in the end. “But his ability to learn and grow will make for good qualities in a king if he can be convinced to use them for things outside of fighting.” 

“True. Which is why I plan on composing the second letter,” Tezuka said. He wasn’t sure it would work in the long run but if he could put Echizen off until his current assignment for Atobe was finished and the situation with Rikkai was more stable than he could probably request time away to visit Seigaku. 

Convincing Atobe to not make such a thing a state visit just so he could follow along would likely be just as hard as convincing Echizen to stay in his own kingdom but he supposed these were the duties of an advisor, assassin and noble of Rikkai if he wished to keep tentative peace between the kingdoms. 

“Then I suppose I will leave you to it. I just thought I would check in on you and make sure you had not perished under the weight of the kingdom’s paperwork or had resorted to sneaking out the window yet,” Oshitari said with a small chuckle. 

“Not quite yet for either. And thank you for the tea,” Tezuka said. He stood and went to open the door for Oshitari who had reclaimed his tray. 

“We’ll be expecting you at dinner. I’ll make sure your secretary knows to remind you.” Oshitari checked that he had everything and then headed out the door. Tezuka shook his head as he heard Oshitari telling his secretary about dinner. But for now, he’d compose his letters and see what else had the ministers and nobles back at the capital panicked enough to write to him. Perhaps there would be a big enough crisis that would require him to send his apologies to the duke about having to miss dinner. 

 

-0---0-0-0---0-0-0---0-

Atobe looked up as the door to the meeting room opened wondering who could be disturbing a meeting that was supposed to be secret and where his guards should have stopped anyone. 

“Keigo, I wanted to ask you abo-oh,” Tezuka said as he came into view and saw that Atobe wasn’t alone. 

Tezuka should have been occupied all afternoon helping to arrange various meetings and plans for the next few days before the wedding and definitely stuck surrounded by messengers from various ministers he had left back in the capital. Atobe had made sure that Tezuka’s schedule was full so that he wouldn’t stumble into this meeting with the notorious pirate captain. But even knowing he was in for a lecture later, he couldn’t help but smile slightly as he took in the sight of his advisor.

Before he could make introductions or offer explanations or even, on the off chance that Tezuka was feeling whimsical, suggest a kiss in greeting, the man beside him had sprung to his feet. 

“Tezukaaaa!” Kite, the pirate captain, roared. 

Before Atobe was even fully aware of what was happening, Kite was across the room with his short sword pressed against Tezuka’s neck. The folder filled with papers Tezuka had been carrying now laid scattered on the floor as Tezuka held a small dagger against Kite’s stomach. 

Where that dagger had come from, Atobe couldn’t say. Especially since he had had the pleasure of watching Tezuka dress this morning and noticed no weapons on him except the sword that was still strapped to his hip. 

“What is going on here?” Atobe finally demanded as his brain finally caught up with what happened. 

“Nothing to be worried about your majesty. I’m just taking care of a rat problem you have,” Kite said as he glanced over at Atobe. 

“Hmph.” Tezuka seemed less than impressed with Kite’s talk and proved it by taking advantage of Kite’s momentary distraction. 

In a flurry of clothes and blurred limbs that ended with a clatter of a weapon falling to the floor Tezuka had taken out Kite. The pirate king was now on his back on the floor with Tezuka’s dagger pressed against his neck and Tezuka’s knee firmly pressed against his chest to hold him in place. 

“What is the pirate king doing here, Atobe?” Tezuka asked, keeping his eyes firmly on Kite. It seemed Tezuka knew better than Kite to not be distracted. 

“We were having what should have been a private and secret meeting.” Atobe didn’t miss that he was now Atobe again instead of Keigo. Oh well, at least he hadn’t reverted back fully to titles which meant that Tezuka wasn’t completely annoyed with him. 

“Why?” Atobe couldn’t tell if Tezuka was addressing him still or if he was now speaking to Kite who looked to be struggling for air. 

“He’s no good to me dead, Tezuka. I’m sure he will behave himself if you let him breathe again,” Atobe said. He stood from his chair and moved closer to the pair and picked up the sword. Just in case Kite really didn’t feel like behaving it was best to have the weapon not so easily at hand. 

Tezuka stayed where he was a moment before easing off of Kite a little though the dagger was still held steady at Kite’s neck. “You cannot be so desperate to establish new trade routes that you would work with a pirate. You know they have no loyalty.” 

“We have more loyalty than you,” Kite spat out. 

Atobe quirked an eyebrow at the two and set the sword on the table before crossing his arms. “I take it you two know each other.” Somehow Atobe felt he should have been more surprised than he was. 

“He crippled half my fleet and ruined one of the most lucrative hauls we’ve ever had.” Kite was practically spitting with anger and Atobe wondered if the two could ever be trusted in the same room without supervision. Still, it did seem like an intriguing story and he wondered if he would be able to coax it fully out of Tezuka if he plied him with enough wine and kisses. Had Tezuka played the role of a dashing pirate for a while? 

“It was merely business. Nothing personal, I assure you.” 

Atobe’s eyebrows shot up higher at Tezuka’s tone. That was not the usual stoic voice he was used to but instead the rather scathing one that Tezuka seemed to save for those he felt so far beneath him that they really should have thought twice before wasting his time. It was odd that Atobe usually heard that voice directed more towards incompetent ministers and never to any servants. 

“I’m not reassured. Especially since you still have your dagger against my throat. Your majesty, could you please call off your rat?” Kite said. 

“He is not a rat,” Atobe said though he did not dispute ownership over Tezuka. “But he is right, Tezuka. Let him up so we can conduct the conversation like the civil people we all pretend to be,” Atobe said. He then went back to take his seat as an example for the two pretenders in the room on just what was expected from civility. 

Tezuka sent a chilling glare at Kite before pulling back his dagger and gracefully standing. He gathered his papers, one eye trained on Kite, before joining Atobe at the table. Atobe gave him a small smile for cooperating and not killing the pirate. 

Kite huffed but did resume his seat at the table as well and Atobe relaxed slightly. While this was not how Atobe saw the meeting going, perhaps having everything out in the open between his advisor and the pirate king would work better for him in the end. 

“You should send him back to the seas, your majesty,” Tezuka said, eyes trained on Kite. 

“I was invited here to do business, Tezuka. And when you’re done playing whatever games you’re playing here with the king you can bet I’ll be back for you,” Kite said. 

“Gentlemen. While I admit to being intrigued by your dubious history, that’s not what we’re here to discuss. Now can I trust you two to set aside differences for the moment so that we can do business that should be lucrative to us all?” Atobe asked. 

“There’s no business with a pirate that can be lucrative, your majesty,” Tezuka said stiffly. 

“Ha! It’s plenty lucrative if we don’t have a traitor sinking our boats,” Kite countered. 

Atobe shook his head at both of them. He knew that Tezuka would have reservations about his idea but he did not expect Tezuka to be so antagonistic about it. It was unfortunate that Tezuka seemed to have a bad history with the pirate king. Even worse, he was back to being his majesty. 

It was time to give up on optimism over this meeting being a success and reschedule for another time. Clearly things were not going to work as wanted for the time being.

“My apologies, Kite. It seems we will have to resume our meeting at another time,” Atobe said. 

“You know how to reach me when you figure out how to get this one back on his leash. Or if you want him disposed of, you know how to reach me for that one, too. Just remember, don’t trust him. He’s more than he seems,” Kite said. He stood and cast a hard glare at Tezuka while he did so. 

“Where is your entourage, Kite?” Tezuka asked quietly, clearly not bothering to comment on any of the comments from the pirate. 

“Here and there. They don’t always follow me around like puppies no matter your past opinion on them.” 

“Are you sure? Because I don’t think I’ve seen you go anywhere without at least one of them shadowing you.”

Atobe watched the two and wondered if he should be concerned about steel being drawn again. Especially now that he was between the two. 

“I assure you, there are plenty of places I go to without them following. His majesty requested privacy and I told the boys I had private business. They’re either in the near by time doing their own business or waiting back on the boat. You should remember how things went, Tezuka,” Kite said. He then reached for the sword that Atobe had earlier taken from him and slid it back into the scabbard. 

“I remember, Kite,” Tezuka said and didn’t say anything more. But Atobe thought his eyes were doing the talking now by the look he was giving Kite. 

Kite didn’t seem bothered by the calculated and hard look being sent his way. He picked up his feathered hat, did a ridiculous flourished bow with it and placed it back on his head. “A pleasure, your majesty. Tezuka.” He gave Tezuka a brisk nod that was not at all polite before pivoting and striding out of the room. 

“Well that was fun,” Atobe said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Just what do you have against the pirate besides the usual complaints?”

Tezuka waited a moment as if he was listening to something only he could hear, before he took a breath and relaxed slightly. “As he said, I worked under him for a time. I know exactly how he does business and you will certainly regret becoming entangled in it.”

“Details, Tezuka. Despite what the gossipmongers believe I don’t make all my decisions on your opinion alone,” Atobe said. “Would you like tea?” 

Tezuka frowned at him and then frowned further at the suggestion of tea but after a moment he gave a nod. “That would be nice. I imagine we will be here until we are both satisfied.” 

“At least intellectually. But if you want to satisfy me physically, too, I am certainly open to it,” Atobe said with a teasing purr to his voice as he leaned into Tezuka’s personal space. “Is that why you came looking for me earlier, Kunimitsu?” 

Tezuka let out a light snort at the words before reaching past Atobe to grab the bell and rang it to call a servant into the room. “Tea and some snacks. Whatever is on hand,” Tezuka said when a young serving girl poked her head into the room to see what was required. She bowed and hastily retreated. 

“Are you that angry with me?” 

“Yes… and no,” Tezuka said giving an answer that was no answer at all. 

Atobe lifted a brow to encourage him to go on. 

“I’m angry that you would think to have secret dealings I would not know about. And I’m angry that you feel so backed into a corner by my actions and Rikkai that you would resort to pirates. You should have trusted in those around you, Atobe.” 

“I see. I suppose you make a fair point. But I felt we had exhausted all of our avenues and with how protective you’ve been since the tournament, I felt it best to make the initial meetings without you.” That at least had seemed like a wise idea seeing how rapidly the meeting had deteriorated once Tezuka had been included. 

“We’ve not exhausted all of them yet. And if I’m protective, it’s with good reasons. You should not being meeting with pirate kings behind closed doors. I didn’t even see Kabaji in the hall,” Tezuka said. 

“Ah… I told him I was going over paperwork in here all afternoon and that he was free to train with the other guards who were off duty.” Atobe knew just by looking at Tezuka’s expression that he was going to tell Kabaji about his deception and that his captain of the guard was going to have words with him. True, they would not be many words, but the look Kabaji would be giving him and the disappointed tone would more than make up for the short lecture. 

“And you wonder why Kabaji and I worry about you… you’ve been reckless lately, Keigo.” 

Despite the concerned tone and look, Atobe felt himself relax a little. Tezuka might be angry at him, but that Keigo proved that he wasn’t truly angry. He could handle temporary anger just fine. He was about to reply when the servant returned with a tray laden with all types of fruits and sweets as well as a large teapot. 

The baron they were intruding on was skipping no expense to see that they were well looked after. Atobe would have to make sure to leave him a suitable thank you gift when they finally parted from here. There were many nobles and wealthy merchants he wanted to remind who was king and what the laws of Hyoutei were as he travelled to the Shishido estate, but the baron wasn’t one of them. He didn’t want to leave the man and his family struggling because of the luxuries they provided for the king and his court. 

“Thank you. We will serve ourselves. And please tell the guards at the door that we are not to be disturbed,” Atobe said. And with Tezuka already moving his seat closer to Atobe and pouring them both tea, he was sure the servant and then the guards would assume they were taking a lovers’ tea break and not actually working. 

That was fine with Atobe. He liked Tezuka in exactly the way the rumours said, though he was not quite as stupidly trusting and blind as the rumours implied but it was certainly no hardship to have his kingdom and the empire of Rikkai believing he had Tezuka naked and calling his name each night. 

The servant bowed, a light blush to her cheeks as she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Tezuka continued to fuss with the tea and even plated a selection of sweets and fruits for them both before finally settling back into his chair and turning once more to Atobe. 

“He will betray you if you give him a chance,” Tezuka said with no preamble. 

“I plan on paying him well for his services. He should have no reason to look for betrayal let alone find it.” 

“He’s a pirate. He’s very good at finding more money. He has the king of Hyoutei using his services to circumnavigate the Rikkai navy. He could easily go to Rikkai and work out a better deal, or fearing the way Rikkai might handle them, he could find one of your enemies willing to pay them to make sure the goods did not reach their destination or that something else unsavoury happened. They are not be to trusted,” Tezuka said, his eyes never wavering from Atobe’s. 

Atobe gave a sigh. He had thought of such things, especially about Kite going to Rikkai and selling him out. It would lead to even higher tensions between their two kingdoms; tensions that they could ill afford right now. But he had not quite thought ahead to more local enemies that would be happy to use their wealth to see that Atobe suffered. 

“Will no price guarantee their loyalty?” Atobe asked. 

“Of course. Even pirates have to maintain loyalty at times if they are to keep attracting business. But considering your position, I think the price for loyalty will start making the tariffs and fees Rikkai wants to impose seem the better choice.” 

Tezuka picked up a piece of fruit from his plate and looked at it a moment before eating it. The small smile that appeared for a fleeting second made Atobe wonder just what it was he had eaten. 

“What was that?” Atobe asked. 

“Hmm?” Tezuka asked and then picked up another piece. “Pineapple. I didn’t think they could be acquired in Hyoutei.” He held up the piece to Atobe’s lips. 

Atobe hesitated just a moment, feeling warmth flood his cheeks as opened his mouth and allowed Tezuka to feed him. It was odd how one gesture could make him feel both embarrassed and aroused at the same time. 

He quickly looked down at the other pieces of pineapple on the main platter as he began to chew. The sweet taste flooded his mouth and while the texture was a bit odd he found he rather enjoyed it. He turned back to Tezuka to see that the other man had been watching him. 

“Well?” Tezuka asked. 

“It’s good. I can’t believe I’ve never had it before.” If exquisite and exotic foods were served anywhere in the kingdom more than at his castle he didn’t know it. But somehow this little yellow fruit had never been one he’d encountered. “Where is it from?” 

“Places that stay warm all year. I had them quite often when I spent time in Rokkaku. It’s part of the empire now but still maintains a level of autonomy,” Tezuka explained.

Atobe nodded. He would have to ask the baron just how he had obtained such fruits and if it would be possible to get the same at the palace. Though even if Rokkaku had some autonomy from the empire, he doubted Rikkai would approve of them trading fruits with Hyoutei. Perhaps other areas also grew the fruit. 

“Do you think our host has trade deals with the pirates himself?” Atobe asked as he looked at some of the other foreign delicacies on their plates. 

Tezuka shook his head. He and Kabaji had been quite thorough at vetting both the people and the places they’d be encountering on their journey. If anyone could find shady pirate ties, he supposed it would be them. 

“Though with the pirates in town, I’m sure they sold goods in the city and the merchants there would sell it on to the locals, especially a local baron looking to impress his king,” Tezuka said.

“I don’t suppose it makes you warm up to the idea of pirates?” Atobe asked. Though with how sure Tezuka was that he would be betrayed no matter what he offered, he doubted Tezuka would do any warming to the idea of Kite. 

“No. Though it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate what the grey and black markets can provide me at times.” 

Atobe nodded and ate another slice of pineapple to keep from sighing. Grey markets he could tolerate. They mostly just broke smaller laws and seldom did any long lasting harm but he really did despise the black markets. From what information his people had gathered about them, there was very little to redeem them. The procurement of goods often led to sorrow and what was sold often led to more. Though as an assassin, he supposed the black market was a useful place to acquire tools of the trade. 

“One problem at a time, Keigo,” Tezuka said. Clearly the sigh was not completely hidden. 

“If only the kingdom worked that way,” Atobe said. 

“Perhaps it will one day. But until then, let us handle the numerous things we’re already juggling before you task us to solve the black market problem,” Tezuka said. 

Atobe could do nothing but agree. His current plans were already, as Tezuka was swift to point out, a little reckless. There was no reason to stretch his resources even thinner by sending them off on the near impossible quest of stopping the black market for good.

“Then if we’re doing that. How do you suggest we solve our trade problem if not by pirates. And not by trading you,” Atobe quickly added as he wanted to make sure that Tezuka wouldn’t try to be self-sacrificing. He didn’t think it would happen since Tezuka still owed him a life debt but he didn’t want to even let the idea settle in Tezuka’s mind. 

Tezuka was silent for a moment, both of them sipping tea and eating the treats provided to them. Atobe, while wanting an answer, was happy to enjoy a comfortable and quiet moment with Tezuka. With being on the road and all the balls they had in the air, such moments were rare and precious. 

“I may have a solution. But I’m not sure you’ll like it.” 

Well, if that wasn’t ominous. But not liking something was a step up from impossible and risks of betrayal. “I’m listening,” He said and did just that as Tezuka began to explain his idea. 

Tezuka was right. He didn’t like it. But he had to admit, liking it or not, it just may work. It wasn’t a long term solution but in the short term, while they repaired relations with Rikkai, it was probably the best they could do.


	2. Mischief Makers

Oshitari smiled as he quietly slid into the room being used to house the king’s wardrobe. Shishido was working with his back to the door, humming quietly to himself as he did so. It was cute. 

Oshitari watched for a moment longer before moving in and wrapping his arms around Shishido to give him a small scare. But unfortunately, before he could say anything, Shishido’s elbow went flying back and jabbed him in the stomach. 

He abruptly let go of Shishido with a curse and bent over in half as he clutched his abused stomach. 

“Oh shit! Yuushi?!” Shishido said as he spun around and saw just who his ‘attacker’ was. “Are you okay?” Shishido’s hands were hovering above him and moving frantically. It would have been funny if Oshitari could have found the breath to laugh at it. 

Nodding, Oshitari tried to wave Shishido off before he did more harm and moved to the love seat in the room and collapsed onto it. Shishido quickly followed and crouched down in front of him to get a better look at him. 

It was a couple more minutes before Oshitari felt like he could breathe without pain and actually start to appreciate the view of Shishido on his knees between his legs and looking up at him with concern. 

“I’m okay now... I think. I didn’t realize your elbow was quite so pointy,” Oshitari said, trying to make light of the situation. 

“Shut up,” Shishido said in a surly tone though his frowning face told Oshitari that he was upset at hurting him more than he was annoyed at the teasing. “What are you doing here anyway?” 

“I had some free time and thought to search you out since you weren’t with the king. He suggested I might find you here.” Oshitari reached out to run his fingers through Shishido’s hair and smiled when Shishido sat back on his heels and rested his head against Oshitari’s knee. There was something comfortable and trusting of this position that made Oshitari’s breath catch in his lungs for reasons that had nothing to do with Shishido’s elbow. 

“Yeah… well next time try not to give me a heart attack. I could have hurt you,” Shishido complained. His voice didn’t have the usual heat to it so Oshitari figured he could be a little devious and press his advantage and get Shishido to be nicer to him than he might usually be. He had to make sure his internal organs didn’t suffer in vain. 

“I’ll remember that. Though you usually aren’t so jumpy. Is something wrong?”

“No. It’s just weird being away from the palace I guess… more strangers, less security. I don’t envy Kabaji. He must be working overtime to keep his majesty safe,” Shishido said. 

“At least he finally trusts Tezuka to keep him safe when they’re together. That helps to ease the burden.” Oshitari continued to pet Shishido’s hair, thoughts momentarily drifting back to the time he convinced Shishido into a dress. 

“Yeah. It’s sort of cute watching those two together lately. Tezuka used to be so stoic but now it’s easy to catch him glancing at Atobe or making excuses to be together. Atobe even dismissed us all the other day so he and Tezuka could go on a private ride and picnic.”

Oshitari highly doubted that Tezuka and Atobe had actually gone off on a date. They were much more likely to use that time to continue their scheming. Oshitari usually didn’t mind that the two of them used their relationship to help cover the fact that they were working on solving Hyoutei’s problems in underhanded ways. But lately he had been noticeably kept out of the loop and it was starting to bother him. 

If Atobe didn’t legitimately need information from Rikkai and the capital while he was away so badly Oshitari would have long since turned his attention to whatever those two were up to. But if Shishido wanted to believe that they were on a date, he would not correct his lover. Shishido wasn’t known for being overly romantic so any indication that he was embracing some hidden romantic side was to be fully encouraged.

“Jealous? I could take you out for a picnic if you’d like,” Oshitari drawled giving Shishido his best seductive look. 

“Unlike you, I have work to do. And I’m not sure how wise it is to be too public with our relationship out here.”

Oshitari frowned at that. Their relationship was technically secret but every day in the capital it seemed to be less and less of one and Oshitari found he didn’t care at all who knew that he was dating the second son of a minor baron. It was no worse a scandal than Atobe giving his foreign lover the title of advisor. 

“We have the king’s permission. We shouldn’t be afraid of others finding out.” 

“I know… it’s just… I haven’t told my family. And as we get closer… you know how nobles gossip. It’s even worse for the ones out here. There’s nothing else to do but gossip. It’s all pretty lame,” Shishido said and then gave a heavy sigh. 

“Let them. I would yell from the rooftop you’re mine if I knew you wouldn’t push me off of it to stop me from embarrassing you,” Oshitari said.

“You’d deserve it for doing something so dumb. I don’t see how anyone could find that romantic. Especially when there’s better things you could be doing with your mouth.” Shishido lifted up a little and slid his hands up to rest on Oshitari’s thighs.

Oshitari took the hint and smiled down at Shishido before cupping his face gently with his hand and leaning down so that his lips just brushed against Shishido’s as he spoke. “Like kissing?” 

“Like kissing,” Shishido said. And as his eyes drifted closed, Oshitari pressed his lips to Shishido’s and kissed him gently. 

He pulled back after a moment and smiled seductively at his lover. “You’re right. That’s much better than yelling from the rooftops. Though I know something that would be even better?” 

“Yeah? What’s that?” Shishido asked. 

Oshitari smirked slightly as he spread his legs a bit further and gestured between them. “It’d be a shame for me to not take advantage of the pretty position you’ve put yourself in.” And being in the king’s closet just added to the excitement of it. 

“You’re such a pervert,” Shishido complained. But even as he hit his arm with one hand, the other moved to the front of his breeches to start tugging on the laces. 

Oshitari couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped his lips as Shishido slid back down onto the ground and looked up at him as he worked at opening his pants. The man was the perfect combination of sin and beauty. 

And while he hadn’t come to find Shishido for this, or not solely for this, he wasn’t about to waste such a lovely opportunity. Discussing Shishido’s plans on travelling early to his family’s home and perhaps allowing them both to go to assist with wedding preparations would just have to wait. It wasn’t every day he had the chance to do something so filthy in one of the king’s private rooms. 

Perhaps next time he’d try to convince Shishido to do something in the king’s bedroom, maybe even on his bed. And as Shishido pulled him free of his breeches and leaned in close, Oshitari decided that no matter how wholeheartedly Atobe had given them permission to carry on their affair, he was never telling him about this moment. If Atobe and Tezuka could keep secrets about whatever mischief they were plotting, than Oshitari could keep secrets about his much more private mischief with Shishido. 

 

-0---0-0-0---0-0-0---0-

Tezuka rode under the overhang of the stable, soaking wet and dripping. It had been storming most of the day and after attempting to wait it out in a run down pub, had finally decided to make the trek back regardless. He had duties to fulfill and they did not include acting as if a little rain would hurt him or his horse. 

He dismounted, a task made slightly more difficult by how all of his layers clung to him in unyielding ways, and then led the horse into stables proper. He paused at the sight of Kabaji who was in the process of saddling up his own horse. 

“Kabaji,” Tezuka said with a nod. He then brushed his wet bangs out of his face to try and better see Atobe’s captain of the guard. “What are you doing out in this weather?” 

“Worried,” Kabaji said. He then began removing his horse’s saddle and Tezuka gave a nod of understanding. 

“You or his majesty?” Tezuka asked. 

Kabaji gave him a long look and Tezuka understood then that it was both. Though most likely Atobe had started the worrying. The king, despite being completely willing to use all the skills he professed to have still seemed to worry that he actually had those skills. It was somewhat endearing if also aggravating. 

“I’ll see him as soon as I’ve changed,” Tezuka said. 

He let the stablehand who had come up take the reins of his horse and gave his gelding a pat before turning to the young man. “Get him rubbed down and warming blankets on before he’s fed. I’ll come check on him as soon as I can.” He’d been using this horse since his first days as Atobe’s advisor and found they had a good rapport. The only downside to the beast was that once the excitement was over with he was rather quite lazy and gluttonous. Everything had to be taken care of before he was given food or you’d never get him out of the feedbag. 

He carefully removed the saddlebag from the horse before handing over the reins for the stable hand once he was sure he understood his orders. Tezuka watched a moment as the sodden saddle was removed and then turned back to Kabaji. “Where is his majesty right now?” Tezuka carefully guarded his words since they didn’t have privacy yet. 

“His rooms. Waiting.” 

Tezuka nodded. He hadn’t planned on being nearly as long as he was. Even before the weather turned everything seemed to be taking longer than it should have. But still, he considered it a successful outing and was sure the king would agree. “I’ll head here now.” 

He reached the edge of the overhang of the stable roof and looked off into the distance of the door that lead into the undoubtedly warm and dry lodgings of the house. The lamp on beside the door was barely visible through the wall of rain as it continued to pour down. Taking one last look back into the stables to see how his gelding faired, Tezuka braced himself and then all but sprinted across the grounds to reach the house. 

Tezuka stopped just inside the door as several maids bustled up to him and Kabaji holding out towels and trying to assist them as much as possible. Tezuka wasn’t entirely sure if it was for their benefit or for the floors seeing as how Tezuka already had a sizeable puddle surrounding him but he appreciated it nevertheless. 

Taking one of the towels he moved it up to roughly dry his hair and then accepted another towel to dry his glasses and face. At least now he could see properly again. Glasses and clandestine work were a risky pair though thankfully Tezuka could manage alright without his glasses if he had to. His training wouldn’t have been complete if he couldn’t. 

Finally after deeming dry enough by the older servant near them, Tezuka, still with a towel around his shoulders, accepted back his bag and headed upstairs to the king’s room. 

“I can report to the king that you’re still here if you’d like,” Tezuka said as he walked down the hall with Kabaji beside him. 

Kabaji gave a nod and instead of following him the last few doors to Atobe’s he turned down a side hall that would inevitably lead him to his own room. Kabaji might not have been in the rain nearly as long as Tezuka but with how hard it was pouring any amount of time foolishly spent outdoors guaranteed you’d be miserable until you could change. 

Still dripping and starting to feel chilled, Tezuka carried on to the king’s room and was given a nod by the two guards posted outside the hall doors. Whether Atobe was or wasn’t in attendance in his room, two guards were always posted to guarantee the security of the rooms. 

This far out in the countryside, they had to be on the lookout for the usual mischief as well as the benign in the shape of people just being curious about their sovereign. Most common folk in these parts had never even been to the capital let alone seen royalty. And while curiosity was generally harmless it did not mean that they wanted servants and other guests of the household wandering around in the king’s private chambers. And one never knew when innocent curiosity could lead to danger. 

Tezuka gave a nod back as one of the guards opened the door to admit him to the anteroom. There weren’t nearly as many rooms leading from the hall door to Atobe’s actual chamber but there was enough so that the first room Tezuka walked into was filled with seven guards, four of which were involved in some dice game while the other three remained mostly vigilant while cleaning their swords and chatting. 

Tezuka waved them off when they would have stood and the guards gave polite nods back to him. He could tell by the looks and smiles that they wanted to tease him about his drowned rat appearance but while they had a friendly enough rapport to spar together and to dismiss the usual pomp and bowing of the court in privacy he really could not condone being teased. At least not when the cold was starting to seep into his bones and he was feeling rather miserable. 

He had accomplished nearly everything he had set out to do in the tasks set to him by Atobe so his suffering was not without good reason. But he would hardly be suitable company until he bathed and warmed up. 

Leaving the guards to their own amusements, Tezuka walked through the half open door into the small receiving room that separated the guards from the bedroom. It was the room he used as his office during the day and which one or more of Atobe’s attendants used to be near at hand when Atobe was in the bedroom and didn’t need him. 

Tezuka flicked a glance toward his desk which had a daunting amount of paperwork piled on it and then over at the king’s attendant. With only one on duty, it meant that Atobe had most likely retired for the evening and wasn’t expecting to leave his rooms again. 

Tezuka still found the life and job of an attendant an odd one with most of them being from wealthy noble families but seemingly content at doing a range of jobs that ranged from glamourous to tasks normally assigned to low born servants. The current task was a leisurely if boring one. The young man had finally looked up from the book he was reading and did a double take when he fully took in Tezuka’s appearance. But court training quickly took over and the man gave a neutral smile. 

“Lord Tezuka, welcome back. The king will be pleased to see you,” The attendant said sincerely enough. 

Most of the attendants seem to have accepted that as Atobe’s lover he was to be afforded some amount of respect and helpfulness but there was always the underlying tension that they did it for the king and not for him. Tezuka knew that if he were really the consort or a queen he would have his own attendants but since he really didn’t wish to make his role anymore permanent or scandalous than it already was he refused to take on more than the secretary Atobe had gifted him with. 

Still the man was free for the moment and he surely wouldn’t mind an easy task. “Can you send for a bath?” Tezuka asked. He was tempted to take a quick look at his desk to see if anything urgent needed his attention but since he was still dripping and had even more urgent matters held in his bag he decided against that thought and stayed where he was. 

“No need, Lord Tezuka. The king has already had a fresh bath drawn up as well food sent for.”

“Thank you,” Tezuka said and gave a nod before giving the final door that separated him from the king a polite knock. If Atobe had ordered not only a bath but food, someone must have seen him enter the yard and run to inform Atobe. He was rather impressed that anyone had been able to make out anything in this rain. Though he supposed nobody else would be foolish enough to be out in this weather but himself. It also meant that Atobe would already know that Tezuka had returned before Kabaji had headed out. 

“Enter,” Atobe called and so Tezuka did. 

“Good lord. You look like a drowned rat,” Atobe said as he strode to him in a billow of warm and dry fabric that Tezuka couldn’t help but envy. 

“It’s raining,” Tezuka pointed out. He really didn’t need Atobe telling him things he already knew but if the king felt the need then Tezuka could play that game, too. 

Atobed eyed him for a moment and then gave a hmph before reaching for his hands. “While I’m relieved you’re back, seeing you in this state makes me wish you would have found a room for the night.” 

Tezuka allowed Atobe to lead him through the bedroom and to the attached bathroom. The fire was roaring and there was steam rising from the tub filled with water. To Tezuka, who had been on the move for two days and uncomfortable for most of that, he thought it was the best thing he could possibly be seeing right now. That Atobe was also in the room and gently unbuttoning his jacket was a lovely bonus. 

“Let me do that before you get wet,” Tezuka said taking over once Atobe had finished with the buttons. “And you should take this. Make sure that all the papers survived the rain.” He had wrapped them all thoroughly but water had a way of making its way inside of containers, waxed wrappers and sealed waterproofed bags anyway. 

“I won’t melt if I get wet, Kunimitsu,” Atobe said. But he did take the drenched bag and moved it to hang by the fire. “And let’s try to get the outside a bit dryer before we attempt opening it. I don’t want you to have gone to that much effort just to have me ruin it as I pull things out.” 

Tezuka nodded, not able to refute the logic to that. With how wet the bag itself was, it was certainly possible to do harm right at the end of this journey. Besides, if any water had snuck into the bag and onto the papers it would be far too late to salvage them anyway. 

Shrugging out of his jacket, he let it fall to the ground in a soggy heap quickly followed by a soggy wool sweater that smelled like sheep and then a waistcoat. Unfortunately, when he went to attack the small buttons of his dress shirt, he found his fingers still too cold and shaking to manage. 

“I can’t believe I allow you to traipse about my kingdom when you can’t even manage to undress properly,” Atobe teased light heartedly as he brushed Tezuka’s hands away and took over the work. 

Tezuka gave a soft snort at the words but patiently waited for Atobe to undo the buttons. He knew the room was warm given the light beads of sweat starting to form on Atobe’s forehead but it was doing little for the chill that had sunk into his bones. 

“I’ll feel better once you’re in the water and warming up. I’ve had a hearty stew brought up for you to eat, too.” Atobe tugged off the wet shirt that was clinging to Tezuka like a second skin. 

Tezuka felt Atobe’s fingers on his skin like a fire brand. Somehow, where the fire had failed to get through to him, one touch from Atobe heated him and made him shiver for an entirely different reason. 

Atobe, seeming misunderstanding the cause, frowned and nudged Tezuka closer to the fire. If he moved any closer he ran the risk of stepping into it. But as he was finally feeling the heat sink into his backside he didn’t object to the abuse. 

“I wonder if it might not be easier to just cut your pants away. They’re so wet they look like a second skin,” Atobe said. He then moved his hand to the top button of Tezuka’s pants and flicked it open. “And don’t you dare say you can do this on your own,” Atobe added. 

Tezuka’s mouth snapped shut and he gave into Atobe’s demands. Honestly, he was too tired and cold to resist the king right now. And really, Atobe’s hot hands on him was rarely something he wanted to object to these days. Though he did do so as to not encourage the king. He would be intolerable if he thought he could get away with touching when and where he wanted. 

There was a sharp tug at his waist and Tezuka nearly fell into Atobe before he reached out to the fireplace mantle to steady himself. “Careful.” 

“These damned laces are as waterlogged as the rest of you and refusing to budge. Give me your knife,” Atobe said and held out a hand. 

Tezuka did have a knife on him as Atobe assumed but there was no way he was handing it over to the king to point at his crotch. He was sure neither of them wanted to risk injury to that area. “No,” Tezuka said and batted Atobe’s hands away. 

He turned so his back was to Atobe and his front was to the fireplace. Perhaps if he was getting direct heat onto the laces and his hands they would cooperate enough to work. 

“Spoilsport,” Atobe said. Tezuka heard him moving around behind him but was too busy trying to get his pants open to worry about what he was doing. 

When he finally got the laces free he dropped them onto the ground and then took a moment to take his glasses off and set them on the mantle of the fireplace. They were hardly doing him any good now that they were fogging up in the heat of the room. After his glasses were safe, he turned back to Atobe and immediately wished he had given a bit more care to what the king had been doing. “Why are you naked?” He asked. He knew the king wasn’t body shy as he’d been stripping down for shared but not shared baths with Tezuka since near the start of his tenure as advisor. But he didn’t see why Atobe needed to be naked now. 

Atobe smiled at him and prowled toward him, reaching out for the now opened pants. “This way you won’t have to worry about getting me wet. And I’m sure you haven’t noticed, but it is rather hot in here. Besides, I know you’re enjoying the view.” 

Apparently Atobe hadn’t missed the long look Tezuka had given him. It was hardly his fault he had been trained to always take in details of people. The fact that Atobe had a lovely body and Tezuka had come to enjoy that he had permission to look upon it without fear of retaliation was just coincidental. 

His scan of Atobe’s body had shown him that while the king may be genuine in his desire to warm Tezuka up and help him avoid illness, he was also enjoying the chance to strip Tezuka. It was too bad that Tezuka was far too chilled and tired to react in the same way. And wasn’t at all surprised when Atobe called him out for it as the pants were finally tugged down past his hips. 

“I don’t think you are giving us enough appreciation for our services, Kunimitsu,” Atobe said. His warm hand rested flat against his hip before smoothing up over his stomach and chest to rest on his shoulder. 

Tezuka looked at the hand and then over at Atobe. “I assure you. I’m fully appreciative,” Tezuka said. “But you will have to give me a chance to warm up and rest before it’s apparent. I’m afraid even I can suffer from the elements.” 

“That’s unfortunate indeed. But I’m willing to wait until later for you to show me in full how much you appreciated my services,” Atobe said and then pressed his lips to Tezuka’s chest right over his heart.

It was nice to hear Atobe go back to his relaxed way of talking. Crisis averted and ego assuaged. “Of course. Now could you help with the rest?” Tezuka asked. 

After some struggles that resulted in Atobe in the rather compromising position of being at his knees directly in front of him and making groaning noises, the pants finally inched down over his knees and could be kicked off. Even if his body was too run down to properly appreciate the view below him, Tezuka’s mind was working hard to remember every detail. He hoped he wouldn’t embarrass himself by having awkward dreams about it. But his mind had a tendency to not behave when he was this exhausted. 

 

“Stop procrastinating and get in the tub,” Atobe said and then caused Tezuka to startle by lightly smacking his ass with his open palm. 

Tezuka gave him a sharp look but knew that if he was too out of it to see the slap coming than he was in no condition to retaliate… at least for now. He moved to the tub and tentatively stuck the toes of one foot in. It was hot. Almost to the point of being unpleasant on his chilled body. But Tezuka knew that once the initial sting of heat broke through the chill he would appreciate the temperature. 

Ignoring his discomfort he stepped fully into the tub and sunk down into with a noise that was half groan and half moan. After a tense moment, he started to relax as the heat ate away at the chill and the water felt more comfortable. 

His eyes drifted shut as his head rested back against the edge and he took long calming breaths. It should be wrong to feel so comfortable in water after spending half the day wishing desperately to be dry but this was exactly what he had needed. 

Once he was feeling more himself, he opened his eyes and looked over at Atobe who was sitting naked in a chair he had pulled up to the side of the tub, his feet resting on the edge. It was similar to the pose Tezuka used to take while Atobe bathed to maintain the illusion of their relationship. Though of course, Tezuka actually had the decency to wear clothes. 

“It was as you feared. Possibly worse,” Tezuka said warm enough now to start his report. 

“How could it possibly be worse?” Atobe asked. Tezuka knew researching Shishido’s family while not telling his attendant was already hard on the king but in Tezuka’s opinion things could always get worse. Especially when you let your guard down. 

“Kite,” Tezuka replied. 

“The pirate?! How is he involved in this? Wait. Don’t tell me.” Atobe held up his hand to silence Tezuka as he settled back into his chair after his outburst. “They’re the ones moving the jewels, right?” 

Tezuka nodded. Knowing that Kite was involved in this scheme made him doubly glad that he had talked Atobe out of using him to help Hyoutei’s trade problem with Rikkai. Treachery would have undoubtedly happened a lot sooner and closer to home than even Tezuka had feared. 

“We did wonder how they were moving such quantities and who was purchasing it…involving the pirates makes sense in that way. And when you’re dealing with pristine Hyoutei gemstones, I suppose affording the pirates is not an issue.” 

“Exactly,” Tezuka said. And then he gave a soft groan as he forced tired muscles into moving as he stood from the tub. “You mentioned stew?” He mostly just wanted to burrow under the blankets of Atobe’s bed and sleep but he knew his body would thank him more if he fed it first. And the act of eating would help him stay awake long enough to deliver all the key points Atobe needed to be aware of. 

“Yes. It’s staying warm by the fire. And here, put this on.” Atobe held out a thick robe for Tezuka and then moved to slip back on his much thinner one. “Are you feeling warmer now?”

“Quite. Though it will be nice to be dry and warm.” Securing the belt, Tezuka headed back out to the bedroom and sat down in the seat closest to the fire where a table and covered tray was waiting. 

“I can imagine. While I appreciate having you back with me, you really should have found shelter at an inn for the night,” Atobe said and reached over to take the cover from the tray so that Tezuka would get the hint to start eating. 

“There’s not exactly an abundance of free rooms right now,” Tezuka pointed out. With Atobe and a good portion of the court making their way to Shishido’s estate for the wedding, inns and household were overflowing with various nobles, staff, and soldiers. Besides, Tezuka would rather spend a few more hours in discomfort and spend the night here with Atobe than bedding down in dubious conditions with who knew how many others in the room. He could handle all sorts of rough conditions if he had to, but it didn’t mean he enjoyed doing so. 

“I suppose pulling rank to acquire a room would have been counterproductive to keeping a low profile.” 

“Very much so,” Tezuka said and then picked up his spoon to take his first bite of the stew. It was rich and still hot and just what he needed. 

“I suppose there’s no harm done. Assuming you don’t catch a cold. It would not do at all for the king to show up with his date all stuffed up and sneezing into his handkerchief every few minutes,” Atobe said making himself comfortable in the chair across from Tezuka that was a little further from the fire. 

“True. That wouldn’t do at all.” Tezuka took a few more bites of stew before looking up at Atobe again. “Shall I continue?” He asked. 

Atobe considered a moment, no doubt judging if he felt Tezuka had eaten enough before nodding. “Yes. Best to hear it all now. Just how many people do you think we’ll be arresting?” 

“Possibly not as many as you feared. Obviously Baron Shishido and his eldest son, the pirates if you can manage to catch any of them, and several higher ranked men who work in the mines as well as the local magistrate I’m afraid. It seems most people involved didn’t realize that the jewels were being sold illegally or had been threatened to keep quiet. There are certainly more than a few rough characters employed by the Baron to keep his jewel trade confidential.” 

“Well he should have employed better ones. Once the anomaly was detected it didn’t take long to weasel out all we needed,” Atobe said with disdain. 

“No. It really didn’t. I have several signed witness testimonies as well as several pages of correspondence between the magistrate and the pirates as well as with the baron.” 

“How did you come by that?” Atobe asked. 

Atobe had asked him to gather as much incriminating evidence as he could to make a solid case against the Shishidos though he hadn’t been specific about what. It was more like than anything else that he had come across the pages. “I was in the magistrate’s office going over ledgers and found in a hidden drawer the letters. A wiser man would have burned them. Though perhaps he hoped to use them as blackmail one day? Either way, I liberated a few of the older ones that shouldn’t be missed anytime soon,” Tezuka said. 

He ghosted over the details about hours of waiting for a gap in guards the magistrate hired, or working by miniscule candle light while tucked under the desk or even having to leave by window and climb down from the third floor when it seemed as if someone was approaching to inspect the room. Some details the king did not need. 

“What a fool. I can’t believe he managed a position of power even if it’s for a small town in what most would consider a backwater part of the country,” Atobe said. He considered the satchel still dripping slightly by the fireplace before looking back at Tezuka. “Are any of the dock workers or managers involved? They would certainly notice shipments not being properly logged.” 

Tezuka shook his head. “It’s where I started the investigation. But after several discrete conversations with the dock hands over horrible ale, I was introduced to one of their cousins who works in the mines and had an interesting tale. And that led to talking to the husband of another cousin who is often hired on to help haul this and that when not working for the baker. It’s always intriguing to find out how these small towns work,” Tezuka said. He then took another couple spoonfuls of his stew surprised to see he had nearly eaten all of it. He must have been hungrier than he realized. And perhaps more tired if he was regaling Atobe with the minutiae of town life. 

“Fascinating, I’m sure,” Atobe said. He didn’t seem to find the town people nearly as intriguing but the smirk flicking up at the corner of his mouth told Tezuka that the king was certainly amused. “So how are they shipping them? By land seems perilous, especially when you have pirates hired on.” 

“There’s a natural cove area not far from the mines and town that makes for a private and mostly convenient transaction point. The ship can set anchor in the cove, hidden from easy view and safe from rough waters. They row out in the small boats to the sandy shore, haul on the goods and can set sail swiftly. The trek down to the beach is more perilous than I imagine many would be willing to take while hauling heavy crates but I suppose enough money or threats is always a good motivator.” 

Atobe nodded. “I assume a detailed map and description is in your papers?” 

Tezuka gave his own nod.

“Good. Then unless there’s anything else I need to know now, I suggest you get to bed. As amusing as you are, rest is more important than my entertainment.” 

“Amusing?” Tezuka asked as he crossed his arms. 

“You’re being quite verbose.” Atobe held up a hand to stall any objections. “Yes, I know you’re more talkative around me. But trust me, your tongue is looser than usual. I hope it’s not a sign a fever is setting in.” 

Tezuka wanted to object that sharing a few more extra details than needed did not make him verbose or put him at risk of fever induced storytelling but arguing with Atobe was near pointless when he had his mind made up. Even more so when Tezuka really did think that bed sounded like a good idea. 

“Feel free to look over the papers in the bag,” Tezuka said. He stood and reached for the cover to put it back on the tray before picking up his glasses. If he didn’t put them on the table beside the bed, his morning routine wouldn’t feel complete. “And don’t let me sleep in. The paperwork on my desk needs to be handled before it topples over.” 

Atobe let out a sigh but nodded. “If you insist. Though I expect you to at least take it easy tomorrow. No training with Kabaji or running around the place. If you need something, send your secretary or one of the servants or guards to fetch it.” 

Tezuka made a vague noise of agreement at that before he moved to his side of the bed. He set down his glasses and slid into the soft warmth of it and tried to ignore the fact that it wasn’t odd at all to him that he and Atobe had sides of the bed. 

“Good night, Kunimitsu,” Atobe called from his chair where Tezuka could feel him watching intently. 

“Good night, Keigo.” The words came easily, already part of a routine that took no thought or extra energy.

Fortunately, he was asleep mere seconds after his head had hit the pillow and so couldn’t be tormented by his brain wondering when exactly being with Atobe in his room was more comfortable than being anywhere else without the annoying king.


	3. Plans and Changes

Oshitari felt his anger growing as he listened to the young man from the nearby village talk. His curiosity had finally won out over his deference to respect his king’s desire to leave him out of whatever it was he and Tezuka were up to. He now really wished he had forced the issue when they were still back in the capital. 

He managed to thank the man for his time and pay him a bit of coin for the useful information before dismissing him. Mounting his horse, he decided against further looking into matters in the town and to return directly to the estate that the king and his court were residing at. He had things to discuss with Atobe that wouldn’t wait. 

He made record time and tossed the reins of his horse at the first stable boy to run out to greet him. It was unlike him to not share a few words with the stable hands or give his horse a final pat and treat but he had other things on his mind. 

He strode swiftly through the house and then stopped to consider where Atobe would be now. Fortunately, he spotted one of the attendants and waved him down. “Lord Jirou. Do you know where his majesty is at?” Oshitari asked, doing his best to keep his tone neutral. He might be angry and in a hurry but some part of him remembered to not brush aside all manners and to keep up some semblance of appearances. 

“W-what?” Jirou asked with a large yawn. 

Oshitari tried not to be annoyed. He generally found the sleepy attendant endearing. Even more so when it caused either the king or Shishido to rant to him about whatever chaos Jirou had caused by his tendency to sleep everywhere and at all times. Shishido… 

“The King. I need to see him,” Oshitari said. His voice a little more stern to press upon the young man that he was seeking the king out for more than tea. 

“Oh, right… He dismissed us until dinner. He said he was going to be in meetings with Lord Tezuka for rest of the afternoon.” 

Oshitari smiled. He couldn’t have asked for a better place to find Atobe. And he wouldn’t even have to worry about losing his temper. If he felt aggressively unlike himself and ended up punching the king, at least he could rely on Tezuka to subdue him before any real harm was done. He wouldn’t have to worry about embarrassing them all in front of the court either during or after his actions this way. “Thank you, Lord Jirou. I hope you have a pleasant afternoon.” 

“You, too, Lord Oshitari” Jirou gave a small bow and then a large yawn.

As Oshitari headed past Jirou and toward the stairs, some small part of him that wasn’t fueled by anger and betrayal noted that Jirou would most likely be late for dinner unless someone knew where to find him to wake him for it. But that, thankfully, was not one of his duties and by the time he reached the top of the stairs, thoughts of Jirou were gone completely. 

Oshitari slipped inside of the first room of the King’s quarters that would lead to where Tezuka was doing business and greeted the guards who nodded to him in an informal bow. “I have business with the king,” He said and they easily waved him through. 

The next room was smaller and held only Tezuka’s secretary and a courier waiting for the latest round of letters to be ferried across the kingdom. The secretary startled at Oshitari’s appeareance but he was already across the room and to the other door before the man could even start an objection. 

As he entered the room he looked over at Atobe and Tezuka and saw that work was the last thing those two were doing. Atobe must be a particularly skilled kisser for Tezuka to not have noticed or cared that the door had just been opened. 

“Your Majesty, we need to talk,” Oshitari said to get their attention as he closed the door. The title was for anyone in easy hearing range since he wasn’t feeling overly respectful.

In any other situation, he would probably be amused and pleased at what he walked in on. But seeing Atobe straddling Tezuka’s lap and Tezuka’s hands working Atobe free of his fancy neck scarf did nothing but increase his frustrations. How could they have time to indulge when they were about to ruin lives?

“Oshitari, as you can see, we’re a little busy right now. I don’t suppose you could come back later?” Atobe asked. He did however slide off of Tezuka’s lap but not before a flick of Tezuka’s fingers caused the scarf to come loose. As Atobe moved away, his scarf slid from around his neck to stay in Tezuka’s hands. 

It was clear that they both planned to return to each other once he was gone. Unfortunately he was going to ruin those plans. “It can’t wait. We need to talk. Now.” He gave Atobe a hard look. 

“I really don’t see what can’t wait an hour before it comes to our…” Atobe stopped and his eyes ran over Oshitari. He must have noticed something was off because his posture changed from relaxed to serious. 

“Tell me what’s wrong,” Atobe said. He then held out his hand toward Tezuka who placed the recently removed neck scarf into it. Apparently some signal had been given that their private time was well and truly over because Tezuka then moved to tidy his own buttons. First at his throat and then, Oshitari couldn’t help but notice, they slid out of view to below the desk. Though Oshitari couldn’t see it, he could hear the tell tale sign of laces being tightened and trousers being fastened again.

While Oshitari had let himself be momentarily distracted by Tezuka, Atobe had replaced his scarf and looked as pristine as if his attendants had just dressed him. He had also moved to stand closer to Oshitari. 

“Sit. Tell me what has you so angry,” Atobe said and gestured to the comfortable looking seats before Tezuka’s desk. 

“No,” Oshitari said. His anger might have been momentarily diverted at the interesting scene before him but it had not disappeared completely and now that Atobe was acting so kind and patient with him it somehow brought his anger right back to the forefront. 

“No? Is there somewhere we need to be?” Atobe asked. 

Oshitari let out an angry sound before he grabbed the scarf that had just been retied and tugged at it to pull Atobe closer to him. “Why? Curse you Keigo, why?” 

He was supposed to be the man of logic and reasoning but now that he was with the king and Atobe was in his hold he couldn’t focus on anything but his fears and anger. 

“Yuushi, you need to calm yourself,” Atobe said. His hands stayed relaxed at his side but Oshitari supposed it wasn’t necessary to protect yourself when your assassin lover was in the room.

Oshitari hadn’t seen him move but somehow Tezuka had gone from sitting at his desk to standing behind him, a hand now resting on his shoulder. He supposed it was a sign of Tezuka’s overall trust in him that it was a hand on his shoulder and not a dagger against his back. But a hand was no less lethal really and no matter how satisfying punching Atobe might be, it wouldn’t lead to get him getting answers or helping the situation in the end. 

He let go of Atobe with only a slight push and then moved to slump down in the chair Atobe had originally gestured to. 

Tezuka and Atobe must have been having some sort of conversation above him because he saw Atobe’s head shake before he sat across from him. “Care to tell us what that was about?” Atobe asked as Tezuka crossed the room to stand to the side of Atobe’s chair. Oshitari absently noted how mussed Tezuka’s hair was right then and that he hadn’t quite managed to get his shirt fully tucked back in. 

“I finally gave into my curiosity,” Oshitari said as explanation. 

“I see… I did warn you not to look into it.” 

“Yet you don’t seem surprised that I did,” Oshitari countered. Tezuka and Atobe may not have been careless to the eyes of the court and public, but to Oshitari, it seemed as if they were just begging him to look into what they were doing. He had only refrained for so long first out of respect of Atobe’s request and later because Shishido had kept him suitably distracted. 

“I know you too well to be surprised that you looked into something. You seem to enjoy knowing everything.” 

“I don’t enjoy knowing this,” Oshitari said. He then flicked his eyes up to Tezuka. “I’m not going to strangle him again. You can sit.” 

Tezuka looked down at Atobe who nodded that he believed Oshitari’s words. Instead of returning to sit behind his desk, Tezuka disappeared into the king’s bedroom. The door was left open between the two rooms and while he couldn’t see Tezuka, he was sure that he could make a swift return if Oshitari decided to resume strangling Atobe. 

“He’s gone to get some papers,” Atobe explained. 

“It will take more than some papers to convince me that you don’t deserve to be strangled.” 

Atobe shrugged and crossed his legs as he relaxed further into the chair. “I knew going into this that it wasn’t going to make me any friends, Yuushi. But I can’t ignore the abuse of power and position that’s been going on just because it will make me unpopular.” 

“Unpopular?” Oshitari asked in disbelief. “You’re betraying your favourite attendant’s trust in you. You’re going to ruin his life. His name! Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t keep on someone with such a ruined reputation as an attendant.” 

“And if a king couldn’t keep him, then neither could a future duke,” Atobe added on. 

Oshitari glared at him. “I would keep him. I’m already seen as an eccentric at court. And if they wouldn’t accept that he was mine then I’d retire to the countryside.” His family had several estates, he was sure he could find one that made both him and Shishido happy. 

“You’d get bored. And so would Shishido. Especially if he was just a pampered kept man with no employment of his own to occupy him,” Atobe said. 

Oshitari couldn’t deny either of those things and it frustrated him that the world of happiness they had built up together would be so quickly ruined. Neither were built for a life of rural retreat. Though it had to be better than whatever alternative Atobe’s plan would leave him with. 

“Keigo, you would be just as bored without them in the capital with you,” Tezuka said as he came back into the room. He was holding a couple files in one hand and a carved box in the other. He sat down in a chair near Atobe and placed the files and box on his desk that was within easy reach.

“Unfortunately, we can’t always get what we want. Especially when noble families decide to take advantage of our trust. We knew that the senior Shishido and his son were not managing the estate and local area as efficiently as they should have been. And the gambling problem was not nearly as secret as they would have liked to keep it.”

Oshitari nodded at that. Shishido had often complained to him about the way his family ran things and how he hoped getting married would help calm his brother and relieve him of some of his vices. Oshitari thought it was optimistic but when it came to family and friends that’s just the way Shishido was. 

Finding out about his family’s treachery would be a blow to him. 

“I was willing to overlook it for now and was even going to send some skilled people along to help train the Shishidos and the others in authority to make sure that everything was run more efficiently. But then the accountings came and things were not adding up in any sense of the word. Next came the stories and then some indiscreet spending that couldn’t be ignored.” Atobe held out his hand and Tezuka picked up one of the folders and extracted a few pages from it before handing it to Atobe. 

Atobe glanced down at the papers and then passed it to Oshitari. “These were some of the early reports we received from the Baron’s own secretary and a low ranking officer in the constabulary in the area.”

Oshitari took them and skimmed through them quickly. It wasn’t outright damning. Both trying to be courteous and respectful of their superiors while obviously wanting to share their worries with the king. It was brave of them but he wished it hadn’t happened. 

He wasn’t sure he would have been able to do anything to help the situation but if he had known about it, he would have tried to intervene before the crown had to. He had money and connections. He could help them find a better way to make an income than by stealing jewels from the crown mines and selling them illegally. And pirates? Those only worked out well for maidens in popular romance novels he saw ladies at court reading from time to time. 

But what was done was done. The Shishidos had made a mess of things and now the crown was solely focused on them. There would be no coming back from this now. He passed the papers back to Tezuka who slipped them back in the folder without a word.

“Is this why you wanted me on the full journey? To distract Ryou from this or was this meant to be some perverse gift to us. To let me spend more time with Ryou before you ripped him away from me?”

“It was not meant to be like that. I had still hoped that this treason did not go as far as it does,” Atobe said, a pinched look between his eyes. “My kingdom and my people must come before all else.”

“You’re betraying your loyal servant. Your friends,” Oshitari said. He knew sometimes one had to be sacrificed for the greater good of the many. But that one shouldn’t have to be Shishido. 

“He’s not,” Tezuka said. Cutting in before Atobe could say whatever he wanted to. “He’s saving him before he’s also dragged down into this. I assure you, with people like his family, it would not be long before they convinced him, or blackmailed him into helping them. Either through his position as the king’s attendant or through his lover who is also one of the most powerful noblemen in the kingdom. He is perfectly situated to do great harm in the kingdom.” 

Oshitari’s anger roared up again at that. Perfectly situated and with a rotten family did not mean that Shishido would ever take advantage of him or Atobe. “Surely you don't’ suspect him of being tied up in this? Or even thinking of doing something against the kingdom?”

“Of course we don’t. And Tezuka made sure that my sentimentality was not misplaced and thoroughly vetted him.”

“And me?” Oshitari asked. It would be odd to check out the younger son and not the son’s lover.

“One or two business dealings. I was discreet,” Tezuka said. 

Oshitari nodded. He could live with that. With the close ties he had to the king, he could accept that on occasion his word would not be enough. And he had nothing to fear from what others would find if they looked at his business dealings or how he socialized. And if it was Tezuka, he had even less to fear. Because if he came across the threads of the net Oshitari had cast out to always be well informed of various things in the kingdom and abroad, he knew Tezuka would not disturb them. Or call them into the light. Oshitari could excel at what he did because nobody suspected him of being anything more than Atobe’s spoiled noble friend who enjoyed gossiping.

“If you cleared him, you must have a plan to save him when his family falls,” Oshitari said. It would be easiest to strip the whole family of the title, re-allocate the Barony to some other family or put it into the king’s trust for a time. But Oshitari had never known Atobe to be cruel to innocents if it could be avoided and the king always tried to take care of his friends. Yes, the Baron had put the king in an awkward position but that was not Ryou’s fault. 

Oshitari sat tensely in his chair as he watched Atobe and Tezuka share a look and he waited for the answer. 

“Yes. Though his life will never be the same,” Atobe finally said after what felt like hours. 

“What do you mean? You’re not exiling him are you?” 

“No. Well… not unless you count living out here as exile. And I assure you, many in the capital would,” Atobe said. 

“No,” Oshitari said absently echoing the king. His mind was whirling through the implications of Atobe’s words. The father and elder son were caught acting against the crown. The younger son who served the crown loyally is rewarded with the title and the barony. A currently failing and impoverished area of land that will require his full attention. And since this blasted idiocy of stealing from the crown had probably spread through several high ranking people of authority, Shishido will be kept busy trying to learn and handle too many jobs at once while hunting for people to fill vacancies. 

Shishido would be elevated, not ruined, in the eyes of most. Though being stuck on the fringe of the kingdom trying to rebuild his family’s legacy would still come at a high cost. Oshitari might fancy dreams of retiring to the countryside with Shishido at his side but retiring to the Shishido estate… that would certainly cause a scandal and objections from his family and possibly the king himself seeing how disconnected the Shishido estate was. 

“We will make sure he has everything he needs to succeed. I’m not setting him up to fail here, Yuushi,” Atobe said with a hard tone to his voice. 

Oshitari knew that Atobe, the king, was trying to make the best of a bad situation. He couldn’t ignore treachery. He had to follow the rules of succession which put Shishido next. He couldn’t in good conscious bring back a Baron with a troubled barony to the capital as one of his attendants. But he could make sure that Shishido wasn’t destitute. Give him the knowledge and people he needed to be successful. Ensure this side of the kingdom had a loyal and strong base of support for the king. 

It made sense. But Oshitari didn’t want logic. He wanted love. 

“It’s not enough,” Oshitari said. His voice was noticeably strained despite his effort to sound normal.

“And it never will be. Not for this.” Atobe met his gaze and while he could see that this decision troubled him, he could also tell that Atobe would not change course now. 

“Does he know?” 

“We haven’t told him. Though as I doubt the Baron plans on throwing a small wedding, Ryou may start wondering where the money to pay for all of the celebrations has come from. And if he learns the extent of the debts his brother can accrue in one night of gambling he’ll question it all the faster,” Atobe said. He then held out a hand toward Tezuka who placed a few more papers in it. 

Oshitari leaned forward to accept the papers from Atobe and wasn’t surprised to see that they were notes about some of the recent events attended by the elder brother and the gambling he had gotten up to there. The amounts he bet and lost were staggering, even by Oshitari’s standards. He did win on occasion but not nearly often to explain the level of confidence needed to make some of these wagers. 

Though Oshitari supposed that if you had a secure source of money through the mines you weren’t as concerned with logical bets and skill levels. 

“This is ridiculous. Why did nobody stop him. The Baron can’t be this blind.” 

“No. Though he seems to be that drunk,” Atobe said. He didn’t even gesture this time before Tezuka plucked out another paper and handed it directly to Oshitari. It was the estate’s pantry orders for a month. And the alcohol being shipped into the household was certainly the most expensive and numerous item on the list. 

Shishido had spoken that his father was more distant and distracted in recent years and had less of an interest in the day to day running of the household and barony but he never mentioned that his father wasted his days drinking. Perhaps his lover didn’t know and would be shocked by more than one thing during his visit home. 

“It seems the best thing his family had ever done for Ryou was to send him to the king as an attendant not long after the lady of the house passed away,” Tezuka said. 

Oshitari couldn’t help but nod his head in agreement. At least Shishido’s family had had sense at some point. And it was long enough ago that Oshitari was willing to believe it was actually out of kindness and not some future plan to abuse Shishido’s connections in the capital. 

“When will you tell him?” Oshitari asked. He gave the papers back to Tezuka and wondered if he’d be allowed to look at all the evidence the two had collected. He preferred being prepared for all things and that meant collecting all the information he could. 

Tezuka slid the papers neatly back into the folders and then set them on the desk. “It’d be better if he didn’t know beforehand,” Tezuka finally said when it was clear that Atobe was not rushing to answer. 

“Why? That seems unnecessarily cruel.” 

“I know. But we have our reasons. The first is that while I trust Shishido, I also know how loyal he is and that loyalty might make him think he is obligated to help his family. I can’t allow that. Or allow him to think he betrayed them by not helping them,” Atobe said. 

Oshitari could understand that, Shishido’s fierce loyalty to his friends and family was one of the many things he adored about the passionate man. And with that thought Oshitari’s brain was already figuring out some of the other reasons why Atobe would not want Shishido to know beforehand. 

“You need his reactions to be real. For people to believe that he’s hearing these things for the first time…” Oshitari looked between the two men and frowned. “You plan on making a spectacle of this?” He shouldn’t be as shocked or angry as he felt. Atobe loved making everything into a production. And when in the outer reaches of the kingdom, making a lasting impression of the king’s reach and power was a wise decision. But this was supposed to be a wedding and a happy memory. 

“We need witnesses to the arrest and of Ryou’s innocence. It has to be done publicly. It’s nice of the baron to provide us the perfect opportunity for it,” Atobe said. 

Oshitari gripped the arms of his chair to stop himself from punching the smirk off of Atobe’s face. “You don’t arrest people at a wedding, Keigo!”

“Of course not. We’re arresting them at the banquet following the wedding.” 

Oshitari was about to pick up the cushion behind him on the chair to smother Atobe with when he froze. “And what of the young bride?” It would be scandalous to have your groom to be arrested on the altar but one that could eventually be overlooked. But to arrest her husband was a whole other story. She would be tied to his title and his fate. 

“She is not as innocent as she wants the world to believe,” Tezuka said. He glanced over at Atobe and Atobe shook his head no. Apparently the king didn’t think Oshitari needed to know what made the young lady such a bad girl. He was sure he could find out later if he still cared to. But Ryou came first in this mess his family would be facing. 

“We are allowing everyone a final happy memory. You should take advantage of it,” Atobe said. And Oshitari understood the meaning. 

He was not to tell Shishido ahead of time nor was he to make any of the guests suspicious. He would also make sure that he was at Shishido’s side when Atobe decided to act. He may not be able to stay with him for as long as he would like but Oshitari would make sure that Shishido had his support until he was settled into his new role. 

“I understand,” Oshitari said. 

“Are you sure? I can make it an official order if I must,” Atobe said. 

“No. I know what’s expected of me.” 

“And you understand why it must be done?” 

“Yes. Though I wish it didn’t have to be this way.” 

“We all wish that, Yuushi. But time has a way of sorting things out. Perhaps you can use that brilliance of yours and find a way to help time along,” Atobe said. 

Oshitari nodded. He was sure what he had learned today and the future was all he would be thinking about for quite some time. He needed more information before he could really start planning but he suspected he would be allowed only limited access until after the arrests. 

“Now. Is there anything else?” Atobe asked. 

A part of Oshitari wanted to make another plea for them to find another way but he knew it would would be a fruitless endeavour. If they had not come up with a better solution already, they wouldn’t think of one in the few minutes they’d been talking.

Besides, Oshitari had been raised to be a duke and knew all about the hard decisions and responsibilities that came along with a title and power. He might not like it, but he could respect what Atobe was doing. It was hard to put what was right and your kingdom before a friendship. 

“No. That’s all,” Oshitari said. But as he made to stand, he noticed the box that Tezuka had also brought out along with the folders. “Unless…” 

“Unless?” Atobe said and then smiled slightly when he saw where Oshitari was looking. “Go ahead and show him, Kunimitsu,” Atobe said. 

Tezuka picked up the box and gently opened it to reveal a beautiful though uncut diamond. 

“Wow,” Oshitari said. “Was it recovered during the investigation?” 

“Yes. It matches the quality and type of diamonds in the mine under the Shishidos authority. It was recovered some time ago in a blackmarket raid but only recently had we connected these pieces back to the Shishidos and their use of pirates,” Tezuka explained. He then closed the box and set it aside. 

As evidence, it was rather damning. But as a jewel, it was priceless. “What will you do with it once the investigation is closed?” Oshitari couldn’t help but ask. Would it be made into just one piece or broken down into smaller gems?

Atobe just gave him a lazy smirk. “I’m sure I’ll find something fitting to do with it.” 

If Tezuka suddenly showed up to court outfitted in a ridiculous diamond or a whole new set of diamond jewels, Oshitari would have to try hard not to laugh. But it was something he could picture Atobe doing. Why turn them into crown jewels when he could use them to torment and claim his assassin all at once. 

“I look forward to seeing what becomes of it,” Oshitari said. He then moved to Atobe’s side and laid his hand on his arm. “I apologize for earlier.” 

Atobe looked up at him and rested his hand on top of Oshitari’s. “And I apologize for the subterfuge. Even if it was necessary.” 

That was fair enough. Considering how he acted when he found out and how he still felt about it, it was probably a wise decision to not enlist his help in this. 

“I will see you at dinner,” Oshitari said. He walked to the door and gave Atobe a bow before retreating. He had a lot to think about before dinner and while a part of him wished that Shishido was there to distract him from his thoughts, he was mostly happy that Shishido had already headed to his family’s home to help with the wedding. He wasn’t sure he could face Shishido just now and keep his promise to his best friend and king about not telling his lover just what the future held in store for him. 

Ignoring the looks he was getting from the courier and secretary, Oshitari took a deep breath, straightened his jacket and then strode from the room as if he hadn’t just found out his world was going to be destroyed soon. 

 

-0---0-0-0---0-0-0---0-

 

“They do seem quite in love,” Tezuka said quietly to Atobe as they watched the couple thank their guests on their way to the head table. 

In a show of respect for the newly wed couple and their special day, Atobe had agreed to be moved to the end of the head table so that the couple and their family could fully enjoy the day without the king’s presence fully taking over. 

He had said it would be rude to try and take away the attention from such a beautiful young lady and said young lady had blushed and gave a most elegant bow at the compliment. Everyone else listening was equally amused and delighted by the exchange. 

But while it was true that in normal circumstances, Atobe would be willing to give up the center of attention for a happy couple, in this case, Tezuka knew it was also because when the arrests were made, he wanted them neatly boxed in at the head table and also front and center for the show that would be put on. 

It was all very unfortunate but Tezuka couldn’t really find any true sympathy for the couple or the baron. They had brought this on themselves and those that broke the law and were foolish enough to get caught did not get to choose when their downfall would happen. 

But that didn’t mean Tezuka couldn’t also appreciate the beauty of the wedding, the banquet or that the couple truly did seem to like each other. Tezuka was skilled at separating his assassin side from his nobleman side when needed. 

“I agree,” Atobe said in a whisper, leaning in close to his ear. “I can make it so that they can stay together.” 

Tezuka nodded at that. He wasn’t sure of Atobe’s motivation for showing such a kindness when he was being ruthless in nearly everything else today but Tezuka thought it was a good idea. It was wise to show some mercy when destroying lives on a wedding day. Not only would those witnessing the event think of it favourably but it could help deter some of the bitterness and resentment that could grow from being arrested. 

“They have certainly gone above and beyond to impress,” Atobe said leaning back into his seat, a cue the private conversation was over for now. 

“They are entertaining the king and it’s the eldest son’s wedding. Of course they would hold a lavish party,” Tezuka said. He thought it was all a bit too excessive. Even ignoring that the Shishidos could not legally afford so much there came a point when less was more. Even Atobe, with his love of over the top drama and fashion showed restraint at some point. 

“We suspect the surrounding villages must be empty as everyone is here either as guests or servants for the party,” Atobe said glancing around at the overly filled room and the servants lining the edges waiting for their signal to begin serving the dinner. 

“I feel your suspicions would prove correct on that,” Tezuka said. But it would work all the better for what they had planned for the night’s entertainment. 

Before they could talk of anything more, the bride and groom along with their procession of close friends and family reached the head table. Instead of going to their seats, they headed to the side where Atobe was sat and bowed low to the king. 

Atobe stood and as he was the king, everyone else pushed to their feet in a wave of movement as people noticed that the king was now on his feet. Atobe waited a moment for everyone to rise and then plucked up his glass of champagne. “Thank you. But tonight is not about us. Tonight is for celebrating the love between you two and the future of Shishido family,” Atobe said. “A toast to the happy couple.” 

Tezuka raised his own glass and followed Atobe as he lead them in a toast. Once the cheers had settled, Atobe gestured for everyone to take their seats and resumed his own. 

Tezuka watched as Shishido sat down to the left of his father, his elder brother was in the place of honour tonight to his father’s other side. It was odd not to see Oshitari at Shishido’s other side. Instead it seemed to be a family friend of some sort. 

Looking out over rest of the crowd, Tezuka spotted Oshitari now seated at a table near the front. He had sat with Shishido during the ceremony and had even walked in with him to the banquet but he supposed sitting Oshitari at the head table, future duke or not, was pushing things a step too far. 

As the wall of servants behind them moved as one to place down the first course of the meal, Tezuka’s eyes slid back to the baron as he wondered just how much the man knew of Shishido and Oshitari’s real relationship. Did he approve? Did he see it as an opportunity? And most importantly, how would he react when he found out that it wasn’t the golden elder son who would inherit his title but the younger, court polished son who was dating a future duker and not a duchess. 

Tezuka knew that Atobe wished to limit the pain caused to his attendant this night so Tezuka hoped that nobody would throw insults or accusations at the younger Shishido. Tezuka wasn’t concerned about physical harm. Oshitari knew the signal of when to approach Shishido and to remove him from the area if things came to that. And Tezuka had no doubt in his own skills to keep innocents safe. 

He would have liked Kabaji here as well as his skills and leadership were not to be underestimated. But he was out leading the arrests of those in the mines and village that weren’t attending tonight. And if at all possible, he were to apprehend the pirates.

“Is the food not to your tastes?” Atobe asked. 

“No. It’s fine. I was just taking in the atmosphere, your majesty,” Tezuka said and began eating. He then focused in on the conversation that Atobe was involved in. He didn’t know quite how Atobe tolerated such dull conversations that never seemed to end. At least in the past when Tezuka was forced to endure such things, he was usually able to eliminate that person later. But even if they were making arrests tonight, he doubted Atobe would let him kill a few courtiers because they were boring and couldn’t take a hint on when to let go of a topic or to retire completely from a conversation. 

It really was the little things he missed about being an assassin. 

His lips twitched at his morbid sense of humour and he caught Atobe looking at him with a raised brow. 

Tezuka shook his head to indicate it was nothing and picked up his water glass to take a sip. 

The rest of the dinner went as expected; There was small talk between bites of exquisite food and listening to numerous speeches and toasts. Fortunately, as more food and alcohol was imbibed the small talk became more amusing if no less banal. Tezuka took in everything while looking relaxed and leisurely. He needed to be aware of anything that might interfere with Atobe’s plans for the night and make any necessary adjustments. 

Finally, the dishes started to be cleared and more musicians began settling in next to the piano and harp players that had provided background music throughout the dinner. The dancing would start soon and then things would really get interesting. 

“Ready for your moment?” Tezuka asked. There was no need to lower his voice. As the king, he would lead the bride through the opening of the first dance before the groom would politely cut in and carry on with rest of the dance. Of course, the dance wasn’t going to happen. Instead, Atobe would use the platform to make a spectacle out of the Shishidos and their ridiculous plan to betray the king’s trust and to keep their household afloat. 

“Of course. We’re always ready to be in the spotlight, Tezuka,” Atobe said and flicked a hand through his hair. “Now are you ready to be awed by my prowess?” The heated look Atobe sent him was in no way appropriate for the time nor the place but Tezuka managed to hold back his frown and instead reluctantly played his part as would be expected from those listening in. 

“I’m not sure one can ever truly be prepared for your prowess, your majesty. But I will certainly do my best to keep up.” 

Atobe grinned and raised his champagne glass up in a small salute to Tezuka’s words before sipping at it. “Very good. Then get out the box we wish to present to them and make sure everything is ready.” 

“Of course,” Tezuka said. He stood and gave Atobe a small bow before quietly and discreetly moving away from the head table to do as Atobe requested. He picked up the ornate box that Atobe wanted from a guard stationed near a side door and used the moment to quietly pass on his command to prepare. Kabaji’s most trusted guards had been briefed on what was going to happen tonight and they would ensure that those in their command followed orders and made any necessary arrests. There would be no chaotic rush of confused party-goers running for doors or causing a commotion in which people might get hurt or allow the criminals escape. Everything would be expertly contained and the focus fully on the king and his words.

Tezuka made his way back towards Atobe but stopped by Oshitari’s table on the way. He gave the nobleman a friendly nod but didn’t stop to talk. It was all the signal Oshitari had needed though, after Tezuka had passed, Oshitari had stood and also made his way to the head table. But instead of going to Atobe like Tezuka did, he quietly moved behind Shishido before kneeling down beside him and drawing him into a conversation. 

Ideally, Oshitari would draw Shishido back to his table for when Atobe made his move. But Tezuka watched as Shishido started to stand from his chair but stopped as his father clearly commanded him to stay. Oshitari gave a chuckle and seemed to smooth over the moment and while Shishido wasn’t safely from the head table, at least Oshitari was still beside him. It would have to do. 

With a final sweeping glance over the hall, Tezuka noted everything was in place and gave Atobe a nod. “I believe it’s your turn, your majesty,” Tezuka said. 

“It will be our pleasure,” Atobe said. He stood. The music quickly cut off and the conversations around the room slowly petered off until silence greeted Atobe. He motioned for everyone to stay seated and after making sure they would, Atobe slid out from behind the head table and to the open space in front of it. 

Moving to an open area did bring with it various problems in safety. But in this case, Tezuka felt better having space around Atobe instead of having him so enclosed behind a table with the people he was accusing of treason. Besides, he would be next to Atobe in mere moments and easily able to defend him from any idiotic reactions the Baron or his son might have. 

“I know it is now time for the traditional first dances of the bride and groom. Though I would beg the groom’s forgiveness so I could dance with his beautiful wife first,” Atobe paused for the polite laughter that came as if on cue. “But before I ask for your hand in a dance, dear lady, I would first beg for a little of your time.” Atobe waited for those at the head table to give him a small bow of permission - as if they would do anything else - before turning to face the crowd. 

“First, I would like to thank our host for the night,” Atobe started. He then turned back to the head table to clap, rest of the room quickly following suit with a round of applause. “And I have brought you a token of my gratitude for being invited to such a lovely ceremony and dinner. Tezuka?” Atobe held out his hand for him. 

Tezuka approached him and gave a perfectly executed bow before presenting the intricately carved box to him. He then took several steps back to better keep an eye on the room. From this point on, it was important to stay sharp and keep things under control. 

Atobe looked around at the guests before taking a couple of steps toward the head table and opening the box for the Shishidos to see. 

Tezuka heard a ‘wow’ escape from Ryou who was still beside his father at the table. And an impressed noise also came from the bride who seemed awed by the large diamond. Clearly, even though she was aware that her husband’s fortune was not all come by through legal means she was not privy to the exact goods that left the mines. Or perhap this one had been sold before she was fully brought into the fold.

No matter. The reactions that the baron and his elder son was giving them was exactly the ones that Tezuka knew Atobe had been hoping for. Tezuka was impressed that the baron’s face could actually become that pale seeing as how red it had been from the vast quantities of alcohol he had consumed at the party. 

Unsurprisingly, the reaction hadn’t gone unnoted by the guests who were watching everything intently. A soft babble of conversation was springing up around them, wondering why the two men seemed so shocked and horrified by the gift. It couldn’t be that bad if the bride seemed so entranced after all. 

“Do you not like it?” Atobe asked once the gossip had reached a suitable level. “We went to great efforts to retrieve this for you. It comes, as you know, from the mines in which we entrusted to you.” 

“I-it is more than we can accept,” The baron finally sputtered out. 

Tezuka’s eyes flicked to Atobe for just a moment and saw that he was making a look as if he was truly considering the words and then his gaze turned steely again. Tezuka’s body braced for action. He somehow felt that Atobe’s next words would be the catalyst of the evening. 

“True. You’re not at all worthy of this gift. In fact,” Atobe paused and the room silenced, with guests at the back practically leaning forward to try and hear more of what was to come. “We believe that you are no longer worthy of our trust or the lands we have granted you and your family.” 

Tezuka’s fingers hovered near his pommel but so far it was only gasps and shocked exclamations that made their way to Atobe.

“You can’t!” Shishido’s brother said as he leapt to his feet. “The lands have been in our family for generations. The mines have been with us for just as long!” 

“Brother, sit down,” Shishido said and gestured furiously to get him back in his seat. He looked between his family and Atobe and then at Oshitari. He frowned as he took in how protectively Oshitari was kneeling beside him and then back at Atobe. 

“Your majesty, there must be some mistake,” Shishido said. Though Tezuka felt like his voice didn’t have the usual strength and conviction that was usual for the man. 

“We wish that were the case. We do not like being made the fool. We had hoped that it was a mistake or perhaps a small error in judgement. But we’ve been investigating and found that this deceit has grown over the years far out of the easy view of our capital. But we are here to remind the Shishidos and everyone else that our reach stretches to all ends of our kingdom and we demand your loyalty.” 

There was a long beat of silence that stretched across the room as Atobe’s voice and words sunk in. Then suddenly, several people made to escape from the room while the baron picked up a large carving knife that was on the table. 

“You leave us up here to waste away and ignore requests for assistance! Of course we’ll sell off your diamonds to pay for things that need to be done,” The baron yelled before he stood up, causing his chair to clatter roughly behind him. 

Tezuka trusted the guards to subdue those running away and instead moved to stand closer to Atobe who of course trusted his guards completely and didn’t for a moment look like he was planning on doing something sensible like stop antagonizing the man with a weapon. 

“Father, no!” Shishido protested but then quieted when his father turned a hard look on him. 

“I sent you to him to help us. But all you’ve done is become a pampered capital courtier. You have no idea how hard it is up here.” 

“Of course I know!” Shishido tried to shrug off Oshitari’s arm so he could stand properly and get closer to his father but instead Oshitari tugged him back into his seat. There was a small struggle but then Shishido huffed at Oshitari before turning back to his father. “I’m not unaware of the hardships. But look around, Father. This is not the banquet of someone who is suffering.” 

“Because we’ve found a way to help ourselves,” The baron countered. 

Tezuka noted that Shishido’s brother and wife, while looking an odd mix of shocked and angry remained wisely silent in their seats. If they went willingly with the guard, that could only help in the coming trials. 

The baron however was only digging himself an even deeper hole. The alcohol was likely not helping with his judgement.

Shishido sputtered at that and Atobe easily took over the conversation. Though Tezuka had wished he hadn’t called attention back to himself. All it would take was one hand gesture from the king to call forth all of his guards into action and to arrest all those involved. 

“And only yourselves. Do not think that just because you had us escorted through a carefully selected route that we didn’t explore rest of your territory. We have found it wanting in the villages, the fields, and the roads. We cannot see at all where all of our money has been going except to the alcohol you drink and the coin your son gambles away. Or perhaps it was all the exotic animals and fancy clothes bought for your daughter-in-law to ensure the successful marriage.” 

Tezuka’s eyes flickered back to Atobe again for a second. He was impressed with the way that Atobe had reminded all there that the Baron was not a good caretaker and that the three about to be arrested were all at fault. It truly was an admirable skill to sum up everything so elegantly and in a way the room could easily absorb. 

This was not about a king being vindictive over lost funds. This was about a king feeling betrayed at not only the Shishidos’ lack of loyalty to him and the crown but by their lack of caring to the people they were supposed to help protect and serve. 

“How dare you?!” The baron yelled, the colour fully back in his face now as anger made him bright red. At least he did not seem apt to jump over the table and lunge for Atobe. Tezuka stayed vigilante just in case he tried or attempted to throw the knife. 

“Of course we dare. We will not tolerate the likes of you defiling our strong nobility. You are stripped from your title. And be thankful we do not strike your whole family from the ranks of nobles,” Atobe said. 

The bride and groom looked hopeful for a moment until Atobe turned his stony glare at them. “You are also stripped of your titles. Do not think to profit from this night. No. It is only our dear attendant who we trust beyond all doubt that we gift the title of baron to along with all the lands, property and mining rights.” 

Shishido stared at him in shock for a long moment before Oshitari gave him a small nudge. Shishido gave as deep a bow as he could from his seat though it was clear from the stiff actions that he was still trying to take everything in. 

Finally, Atobe gave the signal and the guards swiftly moved as one to take all those guilty, or suspected of guilt, into their custody. They hesitated with the former baron but after a few tense words from both his sons he relented and laid down his knife. Everything moved smoothly after that and as the last prisoner left the room escorted by the guard, Tezuka finally let himself relax slightly. 

“Baron Shishido,” Atobe called once the chaos had settled. 

Again, Shishido took a moment to respond but that was probably going to happen for some time until he was used to his new title.

This time when Shishido moved to rise to his feet, Oshitari allowed him. 

“Yes, my king?” 

“We wish to thank you for your long years of service. We would keep you in our direct service if we could. But you are needed here with your people to set things right. You will no longer be at our side, be still hope to trust you with all the duties that this new service to us entails,” Atobe said formally. Tezuka was sure that very few people in the room could see the sadness in Atobe’s face as he did so. 

Shishido squeezed his hands into tight fists and Tezuka wouldn’t even begin to try and guess what emotions were swirling through the young man. But at least he knew that no matter what they were, they would not manifest in a way that would harm Atobe. 

“I am forever at your service, your majesty,” Shishido said and showed off his court polish by giving a beautiful bow. 

“We are pleased to hear this. Because we have set a large task for you here and are about to make it an even greater one. We have lands that remain neglected and uncared for next to your own and would like to entrust you with their oversight. Of course, the additional lands will come with a title that reflects the new responsibilities,” Atobe paused for dramatic effect and to give Shishido time to answer appropriately. 

“I would be most honoured to accept any tasks you have for me, your majesty,” Shishido said with another small bow. 

“Good. Then from this day forth, you shall be known as Lord Shishido, Viscount of Yamazora” 

Oshitari started the applause but it was quickly taken up by all those present. While hearing of the treasons and seeing the arrests must have been shocking for everyone, there was still something to be celebrated. Those living in the area were probably happy to have a new leader and the nobility who had come for the wedding were always in favour of new gossip.  
“We will talk with you more before we head back to the capital. For now, we will leave you to attend to your guests. Goodnight lord Shishido.” 

“Goodnight, your majesty.” Shishido bowed once more. 

Atobe turned to leave and everyone still in the room hastily moved to their feet and gave the appropriate bow to their king. After the night’s warning, it seemed everyone was eager to show they were still loyal. That was just as Atobe had planned it. 

“Our lord advisor. We would have you with us,” Atobe said as he passed him. 

“Of course, your majesty.” Tezuka made eye contact with Oshitari, Shishido was far too shell-shocked still to notice him, and gave a small bow. They would meet up later and discuss what happened after Atobe left. But for now, the king summoned and so he went. 

 

-0---0-0-0---0-0-0---0-

 

After the king had left it was quite obvious the celebration was over and most of the remaining guests left swiftly. Shishido was infinitely grateful that Oshitari had taken over hosting duties and hurried the stragglers out the door with all the politeness that Shishido knew he couldn’t be bothered to muster. 

It was all he could do to stay by Oshitari’s side and smile and nod politely. Really, his thoughts were miles away and he was nowhere close to processing what had just happened. 

But now that all the guests were left, Oshitari said he would manage the servants and the clean up and suggested Shishido try to relax. Shishido had nodded and had taken five steps out the door toward his room when he realized that he couldn’t let Oshitari handle everything for him. 

He was a Viscount now. Not that he could really believe that yet but he had to start acting like it. So first thing was first. Go to his father’s office and see what he could find and figure out about running a household and all of the land and the people on it that now were his responsibilities. 

To think, just last week his greatest responsibility had been making sure all of the king’s clothes were cleaned and hung up how he liked. 

He managed to hold it together until he was behind the closed doors of his father’s office and then let out a sound that was half between laughter and crying as he looked around it. This couldn’t be real. He didn’t want it to be real. 

What had his family been thinking?! He scowled and wiped away at his eyes and stormed to his father’s desk. He looked at the alcohol in the decanter and the crystal glasses and started reaching for it. A drink or five would certainly help make this night easier to handle. 

He had gotten as far as touching one of the glasses when he pulled back his hand with a scowl. No. He refused to be anything like his father or brother. He wouldn’t deny he enjoyed a drink with dinner or when Oshitari and him shared stories in front of the fire but maybe he would give it up. 

Best not to risk it. Perhaps there was something in his blood that made Shishidos complete idiots if they didn’t keep strict control over their vices. 

Shishido felt another mix of laughter and tears bubbling up inside of him and promptly sat down and started shuffling through papers. Best to distract himself before he broke down. 

Most of the papers on the desk were about the wedding which made sense. There was correspondence wishing the couple their best, lists of things that were to be brought in for the ceremony and banquet and then paper after paper of expenses. Gods above, how could his family had spent so much on a wedding? He knew they were spending more than they should but this was just reckless. He hoped that all the bills had already been paid and the king wouldn’t expect him to refund the royal treasury of the money that was owed through his family’s deception. 

He stared at the papers again hoping they would be less damning the second time through but it just got worse. He tugged on the desk drawers, not overly surprised to find them locked. But he wasn’t going to risk going out there and asking his father’s butler about it. And he definitely wasn’t going to try and track down where his father was being held right now. He didn’t trust himself not to strangle the man. 

He cursed and stood from the desk, the chair crashing down onto the ground behind him. He looked back at it, thought about righting it, but decided that it made him feel better to leave it. 

He stomped over to the overly fancy sofa that was covered with far too many cushions and wondered why his father thought it was necessary. You couldn’t even sit on the stupid thing. He picked up a pillow and tossed it aside. The next one he threw with a bit more energy behind it, taking out his frustrations on the soft object. The next pillow hit one of the paintings on the wall and it wobbled a moment before falling from the wall and onto the pillow below it. 

He stared at the downed painting for a moment and then the empty spot on the wall. His first reaction was that he should fix it before his father found out. Then he remembered his father had betrayed the king and was being held for treason and he no longer had any say on what happened in this house. 

Shishido cursed some more and let out his frustrations by throwing the other pillows around and then by abusing a few books and papers. He had just picked up a vase that was on a side table and was just winding up to throw it at the stone fireplace when sudden clarity struck him. 

He was poor. 

He was a viscount and he had no money. 

His family had left him a pauper. One that was still expected to pay taxes, fix roads, feed his people and all the other things a viscount had to do. 

He sunk into the couch that was now free of all of it’s spare cushions and held the vase safely in both hands. He’d have to sell everything. Could he rent out the manor without the king thinking it odd? Would anyone come to visit him if he was staying in the small garden home that his grandmother had retired into when she found the manor too cumbersome to get around in? 

He cursed again and sniffled. He tried to wipe moisture out of his eyes but only succeeded in bumping his nose painfully with the vase. He was cursing again and not just because of the dire situation he now found himself in but because his nose was also hurting. 

Of course, this had to be the moment Oshitari walked in on him. He supposed it was better than when he was trashing the place… maybe. It’s not as if he had tidied up the evidence of that yet. 

He was so lame. 

As a second son of a minor baron he was free to do whatever he wanted. And as an attendant to the king, he knew he made an appealing lover to a bisexual marquess who enjoyed being in the center of court intrigue and gossip. 

But now? He was a broke viscount in charge of a little piece of the country so far away that nobody ever thought to visit unless the king dragged everyone out here to research treason. Oshitari was too much of a gentleman to dump him tonight or probably even in the next few days. But Shishido was sure that when the man approaching him now left for the capital at the end of the week, it would be with the understanding that he was not coming back and that their liaison was over. 

He sniffled again but at least remembered to shift the vase into one hand before attempting to wipe tears away again. 

“Why are you holding the vase?” Oshitari asked as he knelt in front of him. 

It was nice of Oshitari to not mention the chaos of the room. “I’m too poor to break it when throwing a fit.” He wasn’t the king. He couldn’t afford to replace everything he destroyed whenever he felt like being a drama queen. 

“What do you mean?” Oshitari’s voice was so calm and even that Shishido felt himself relaxing a little. Certainly enough to let Oshitari ease the vase out of his hands and put it back safely on a table. 

“I was looking at the ledgers and bills that were on my father’s desk. We overspent on the wedding. And I don’t know if Ato-” He cut himself off. He was no longer the king’s attendant and despite the king’s words he wasn’t really sure just how much of the man’s favour he had right now. “The king may expect payments in retribution for the diamonds that were sold illegally. Even if I hate everything in this room I have to see if I can sell it.” 

“Oh, my dear Ryou.” Oshitari sat down beside him on the couch and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in. “It’s not like that. Atobe won’t punish you for your family’s misdeeds. You’re innocent, why should you bear the burden?” 

Shishido nodded a little against Oshitari’s chest at what he said and then tried to sneak a hand up between them so he could make sure he wasn’t getting snot and tears on the man’s beautiful jacket. “I’m still poor unless these bills have been paid, which I doubt. I’m not sure how long I’ll be in debt. And don’t you dare offer up your own money.” 

It was one thing to accept silly gifts from Oshitari or let him pay for dinner but entirely another to accept charity for the faults of his family. Besides, he had some savings, perhaps that would be enough to tide the debtors over until more funds could be raised. 

“Is it so wrong to want to see you safe and secure in your new title, Ryou?”

Fingers deftly untied his hair ribbon and let it drop to the floor before carding through his long strands. It felt nice but Shishido wasn’t going to give in that easily. Even if it would be easier if his pride would shut up and let him. 

“No. But I won’t let you do it financially…” His voice trailed off as he realized something that he should have earlier. Oshitari was calm. He trusted Oshitari to be his rock and be a calming force when he was riled up and in need of venting. But this was so much more than that. Even at the banquet, Oshitari hadn’t seemed surprised by the charges laid against his family. Or that he was now the new baron… well viscount. 

“You knew!” He hadn’t meant to yell that, especially with Oshitari’s ear right near his mouth but he was too shocked to control his voice. 

Oshitari pulled back from him a little so they could better look at each other, and possibly save himself from going deaf in one ear, but kept both of his hands firmly on Shishido’s shoulders. “I did.” 

Shishido felt a momentary pang of betrayal, something he had felt a lot this night, and also a flare of anger. “Why?” He demanded though with all the answers he wanted he wasn’t exactly which one he was asking for first. 

“The king ordered me not to say anything,” Oshitari said. His right hand slid up Shishido’s neck so his thumb could caress his jaw. It was a soothing and apologetic gesture. 

That combined with the words sapped away Shishido’s anger and left him just feeling tired. He couldn’t stay angry at Oshitari for being loyal to the king. He would have done the same if the positions were reversed. “How long?” 

“After you had already left for here. I was bored and curious. So I finally looked into what it was the king and Tezuka were being so secretive about,” Oshitari said. He then glanced away toward the wall when he spoke again. “I may have attempted to strangle Atobe in my anger.” 

Shishido stared at Oshitari and watched as his cheeks coloured slightly and then laughed. He loved that Oshitari was his unasked for knight. That he would strangle their sovereign in anger for him. Obviously Atobe and Oshitari had quickly resolved things but it was nice to know how much Oshitari cared. 

Shishido turned his head and kissed Oshitari’s thumb. “Thank you. But I think it best to not try to murder his majesty again.”

“Duly noted. I’m not sure I want to risk Tezuka again anyway. He is awfully protective of the king.” 

“You say that like I wouldn’t threaten to stab someone who was strangling you. Of course he’d take objection to someone trying to kill his lover.” Really, for being such a romantic, Oshitari was sometimes a little strange about things. 

“You’re right. And I adore your scrappy ways and that you’re willing to stab people on my behalf.” Oshitari leaned in and gave him a light kiss. 

Shishido’s mouth was just quirking up into a smile when reality crashed back into him. Viscount. Poor. The far reaches of the kingdom. 

“Yuushi…” Shishido started and then stopped. If Oshitari was too much of a gentleman to break things off tonight, then perhaps Shishido should just savour what they still had while he could. 

“Yes?” 

Shishido almost asked Oshitari to stay the night and then pulled back the words before they could escape. Of course Oshitari was staying the night. All of his stuff was here and it was where he’d been staying the last few days. He didn’t want to look any weaker and needy than he already did. 

“Should I cut my hair?” He asked instead. 

“What? Why?” Oshitari sounded truly surprised and baffled as he reached out to touch Shishido’s hair. 

“It’s not very lordy of me. I need to be taken seriously and be seen as mature enough to lead.” 

“And that can’t be done as you are now?”

“This isn’t the capital. We aren’t really frou frou fancy type of people out here. I might grow a beard or a moustache, too.”

“Can you even do that?” Oshitari asked. His fingers brushed against Shishido’s cheek and he was just tilting his head into the touch when he realized Oshitari’s insult. 

“Hey!” He yelled in indignation and poked at Oshitari’s sides. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s just the most I’ve ever seen on you was a patchy five o’clock shadow and that was after I kept you captive in my bedroom for the whole weekend.” 

Oshitari’s eyes flashed dark and full of lust as he clearly remembered just what they did that weekend. Even Shishido’s breath staggered a bit as he too remembered what went on. 

Oshitari was far too good at distracting him. And annoyingly reminding him that he might still be a decade or two away from actually being able to grow anything decent on his face. “Fine. But I still think I should get a cut. Blend in more.” 

“I really don’t think it’s hair that makes the difference between a good and bad lord. It’s what is inside of a person that matters. And don’t roll your eyes. I know how it sounds lame but it’s true. And after all this time with your brother and father leading them and leading them poorly, perhaps they’ll appreciate the visual reminder that you’ll be different.” 

This time when Oshitari cupped his face he did lean into the touch and let out a sigh. It was still hard hearing just how far off the path his family had gone but he would set the Shishido legacy back on track. “Maybe… I could use every advantage I can get. I never expected to be a lord of anything.” 

Being a courtier at the palace and in direct service to the king was more than he ever expected as a second son of a minor baron and so had never trained in many of the things he’d have to learn over the next year or so. 

“You’ll make a fabulous lord, Ryou. You have the determination to succeed and the heart to ensure you’re doing it all for the right reasons.” 

The fingers slid through his hair and Shishido wasn’t surprised when Oshitari’s hand stopped at the back of his head and used it to pull him in for a kiss. His eyes fluttered closed and he let Oshitari try to kiss his worries away. It was such a gentle and loving kiss that Shishido thought Oshitari might just succeed if he kept it up. But of course the kiss couldn’t go on forever.

“Besides, I’m rather partial to the long hair. I’d miss having something to play with… or hold onto while you-” 

“That’s enough of that,” Shishido said quickly abruptly cutting Oshitari off. It didn’t matter that he also liked Oshitari tugging on it while they had sex or using it to command him during a blowjob, there was no need to say those things out loud in his father’s office. 

Oshitari chuckled and then pulled him in for another kiss quickly silencing any more protests about Oshitari and his dirty mind and mouth. “You’re only allowed to cut it all off if that’s what you really want.” 

“It’s not,” Shishido said and then let his head fall against Oshitari’s shoulder. “And it probably wouldn’t actually help anyway… I just feel a bit lost right now.” It hurt his pride to admit that. And if it was anyone else with him, he wouldn’t have said it. But it was Oshitari, he trusted that man above all others - even with his pride. 

“You won’t have to do this alone. I’m sure the capital will survive without me for a few more weeks. And then I’ll write you daily. I won’t let you miss a single piece of intrigue,” Oshitari said, his hand was back to petting Shishido’s hair. 

Shishido snorted into Oshitari’s shoulder. He really didn’t need every piece of intrigue. Just the juiciest stuff would be okay. Besides, he had no idea if he’d have the time to reply to daily letters, or if he’d even be able to afford that. The cost of hiring that many couriers to dash across the kingdom was enough to make him cringe. 

“Daily seems a bit much, Yuushi…” 

“Fine. How about twice a week? And if you’re willing to put the courier up for the night, I will ensure they’ll be willing to carry your missives back to me,” Oshitari said. And somehow he had neatly answered Shishido’s hesitations without them needing to be voiced. He sometimes swore that Oshitari could read minds or do magic but all the books he looked at said that such things were purely fantastical and not real. 

“Okay. I’m sure I can feed and house a courier for a night a few times a month.” He wasn’t even sure where he would be housed in the coming months but he was sure he’d still find a bed for a courier. Especially one that carried anything from Oshitari.

“Good. I promise not to give up on us if you don’t, Ryou. But even I can’t sustain a long distance relationship on my own.” 

Shishido stiffened under Oshitari’s hand but the other didn’t seem to pay any attention to it and just kept up his soothing strokes of fingers through his hair. They had danced around what they were for ages and let it be implied between them for even longer. Shishido wasn’t oblivious to the mutual feelings between them. And it was impossible to forget what it meant to ask the king permission to date. But this was the first time Oshitari had come out and said they were in a relationship. 

He felt his heart skip a few beats at the thought. Dating seemed fun and harmless. A relationship seemed so much more substantial and long lasting. And that sounded really good right about now when he was facing such an uncertain future. “Good. I enjoy being in a relationship with you… even if it’s going to be a long distance one now.” The long distance thing would definitely make it difficult to enjoy his favourite part of dating Oshitari but maybe it would help them deepen their understanding of each other since they wouldn’t always be getting distracted by sex. 

Still… he’d really miss the sex. Oshitari could make his toes curl in pleasure every time. 

“We’ll figure it out. I’m sure once things settle down here you’ll be able to visit the capital. Or I can visit again in a few months.” 

Shishido nodded. It would of course be easier if he didn’t live so far from the capital on the borders of the kingdom but he knew such things wouldn’t stop Oshitari from doing what he wanted. And as long as everyone was fed and clothed, Shishido was sure he could scrape together enough funds to visit Oshitari… maybe. It would certainly be strong incentive to do his best with the accounts. 

“Oh… that reminds me. I was tasked by the king earlier to deliver this to you once the spectacle was done. I promise I haven’t read it.” Oshitari gently pushed Shishido off his shoulder and dug in his inside jacket pocket for an envelope that was only slightly rumpled from being in there for so long. But the seal, the king’s official one, was still in perfect condition. 

Shishido studied it for a moment, worried that whatever was in it might mean more drastic changes to his life. But then he realized he was being completely lame and that Atobe could hardly flip his life upside down anymore than he already had. 

As he cracked open the seal and slid the letter out of the envelope, Oshitari not so casually leaned in. Shishido smiled at that and closed the remaining distance to give him a quick kiss. 

“What was that for?” Oshitari asked though he seemed pleased by it. 

“Just impressed you managed to make it this far without being nosey about the letter.” Maybe it was because Oshitari knew that Shishido would share it all with him anyway. 

“I’m not that bad.” 

“Yes, you are. But it’s sort of cute so I’ll forgive you.” 

“Just read the letter, Ryou.” Oshitari swung an arm around Shishido and once more was leaning in close to read the letter with him. 

He wasn’t more than a few sentences in when he dropped the letter down to his lap and looked at Oshitari. “Seriously?” 

“He wouldn’t joke about this. Even less so since it was done under his royal seal and not his personal one,” Oshitari said. He picked up the abandoned envelope with the royal seal on it just to remind Shishido he was telling the truth. 

Shishido skimmed through the letter again and then looked at Oshitari. “I’m not poor.” 

“You’re not poor.” 

“He’s sending experts to advise me and others on what to do… I’ll be able to take care of everyone.” 

“You didn’t think he would leave you to flounder, did you? I’m quite sure he would have offered the experts to your father if he had shown any inclination to wanting to improve. The king does care, Ryou.” 

“I know,” Shishido said. He had seen first hand just how much Atobe did care. And not just about other nobles and people he saw every day. He cared about all of the people in his kingdom and was always trying to make things better even when the world worked against him. 

Oshitari nodded and drew Shishido in closer to him to offer comfort and support. 

“This is so far beyond caring though… no royal taxes for five years. So I can use that money for the land and the people and on all the projects I’m sure that have been piling up. This -” 

“Is exactly what a loyal subject deserves when he’s tasked with such a duty so suddenly,” Oshitari said, cutting him off. 

“Maybe…” Shishido said. He scanned the letter again, just to make sure that the words really said what he thought. It was still so hard to believe. “He mentions a gift…” 

“He does. And it seems he knows me as well as you.” Oshitari gave him a quick kiss before reaching inside of his jacket and pulling a velvet pouch out. It jangled noticeably and Shishido suspected what he’d find inside. 

“He paid me enough as his attendant,” Shishido said as he took the pouch. Not only was he given a beautiful room in whatever palace they stayed in, he also was fed delicious food, had a clothing budget and was paid a stipend on top of that. He would never dream of demanding more. 

“Freely given, Ryou. It would be bad form to decline a gift from a king, friend or not.” 

Shishido nodded and handed the letter over to Oshitari so he had both free to open the pouch. He expected money. He did not expect it to be as much as it was. The coins, while not many, were the highest denomination in the kingdom. Used wisely, he was sure he could run the household and keep everyone fed for a year while he figured out how to get his lands and mines producing a proper income. 

“Definitely not poor,” Oshitari whispered against Shishido’s ear. A shiver of pleasure raced down his back. Even when Oshitari was just saying mundane things it turned him on when he said it like that. 

He brushed him away a little, not quite ready to let himself be distracted just yet. “I’m sure these experts he’s sending will help me figure out how to best use this.” He carefully put the coins back in the bag and set it, along with the letter on the side table beside the vase. 

“Just make sure you use some of it for yourself. Nobody, not even the townsfolk, expect you to starve and wear threadbear fashion just to do ten years worth of recovery in one.”

Shishido wanted to protest that the needs of the many should come before fancy meals and clothes but instead just nodded. Once he better understood his duties and the bookkeeping he’d better understand what he could afford and what was expected him as a viscount. He might never have enjoyed fancy balls but he couldn’t deny that he liked rich foods and sampling delicacies from around the kingdom and beyond. It would be nice to have a few coins spared for some exotic spices or chocolate. 

Though he wondered if he’d be able to eat the rich treat without thinking about Oshitari had melted some and used a brush to paint words and pictures all over his body before licking them off. 

Or even worse, thinking about how salty and sweet the chocolate tasted when he had taken what was left in the bowl and poured it over Oshitari’s arousal to eat that way. He squirmed a little on the couch as the thoughts made his arousal spike. 

“Just what are you thinking about, Ryou?” Oshitari asked in a low husky voice that he mostly used in the bedroom. Clearly he hadn’t missed the direction that Shishido’s thoughts had turned to. 

“Chocolate,” Shishido answered honestly. 

The smirk and dark smouldering look Oshitari gave him made him think that answering honestly was the right thing to do. 

“I’m sure the kitchen has some leftover from the party. Shall I go see if I can acquire some?” 

Shishido wanted that, he realized. Whatever Oshitari and him did with that chocolate and through rest of the night was sure to keep him content and warm through the hard months ahead but he didn’t feel quite ready to abandon his father’s office yet. 

Oshitari must have noticed his hesitation because he leaned in and gave him a soft reassuring kiss. “I’ll bring some chocolate to your room. Take your time. The chocolate and I will be waiting for you when you’re ready.”

There was another soft kiss and then Oshitari was pulling away, his fingers carefully carding through Shishido’s long hair one last time. 

“Thank you,” Shishido breathed out as he watched the handsome man he loved be so understanding and gentle with him. 

“My pleasure, viscount Shishido.” Oshitari leaned down and gave him one last kiss, this one promising sinful things when Shishido eventually joined him in the bedroom. 

He watched Oshitari leave and then gave a sigh. He had a lot to think about. But things didn’t seem quite as dire as they did before Oshitari had come in. Some of that was the effect the lord had on him but the bigger part was Atobe’s letter and gifts.

Shishido would definitely make sure to visit the king before he left to thank him properly in person. He reached for the letter and read through it once more before putting it back in the envelope and sliding it into his pocket. The bag of money followed and then his gaze trailed around the room. 

There would be time enough to start learning things in the morning. He was sure, or at least hopeful, that nobody would expect miracles of him on his first few days as viscount. 

For now, he had a lover waiting for him upstairs and no family to worry about overhearing anything improper. That thought came with a twinge of guilt and anger but he was sure Oshitari could have him forgetting about anything but pleasure in no time. 

Standing, he gave the messy room one last look and was just about to leave when he instead paused and then reached for the the silly, overpriced vase he had nearly destroyed earlier. It would look nice with some flowers from the banquet in it on his bedroom dresser. Somewhere he’d see it before he slept and first thing when he woke.

A reminder and a promise to himself. He would be a good viscount and he wouldn’t fail his king nor his lover. He would move past his family’s failings and surpass everyone’s expectations. 

 

End


	4. Bonus - Atobe's Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I found it awkward to incorporate the text of Atobe's letter into the main story when both Shishido and Oshitari were reading it themselves. So I decided to post all of Atobe's letter as its own separate bonus chapter.

My Dearest Viscount, 

Ryou, as your sovereign we cannot apologize for what must be done to protect our kingdom and the people within it. But as your friend, I would apologize for keeping you in the dark about the investigations and arresting your family members on what should have been a happy day. But even as your friend, I cannot, and will not apologize for taking action against those who have betrayed me. I hope that in time, you will not only understand but accept this. 

For now, we would like to congratulate you on your elevated status. To be a peer of the realm is a high honour though it is not without its burdens. As a new viscount, we will be sending some experts from the capital to help advise you. We offer this service not because we do not trust you to do an excellent job as a viscount but because we understand the difficult task we have set you and that you have not trained for this possibility. So we wish to offer you every assistance. 

To that end, we are waiving any debts that your family owes the crown. It was your brother and father who accrued those debts and so it is them that will repay them. And for the next five years, we will not collect taxes for the royal coffers from your lands. This is, of course with the stipulation that at least 80% of those funds that would have been collected are invested back into the properties and land in which we have bestowed you. We will expect written reports at least once a season detailing all that you have accomplished and plan to do in the future. 

These letters are not only so that we can show the court that the lands are being well looked after but so that we may know personally how you are faring.

Though you can no longer work for us and be by our side. We hope, that we may forge a new bond as King and viscount in the coming years and work together in new ways. 

As you find your way as a young viscount, know that there is no harm or shame in asking friends or fellow nobility for guidance or advice. Despite what some like to believe, nobody started knowing everything.

Though it may be too soon to say this, and perhaps we should not be the ones to do so, but we feel we must. Family is important. Even when it seems they have abandoned and betrayed you, it does not mean they cannot be redeemed. It is our hope that given the chance to reform that those involved in this plot will choose the path of redemption and loyalty. Only time may tell what they will do with themselves now that they’ve been caught. We will not interfere with your communications if you chose to reach out to them. 

And finally, I once more shed the persona of king to thank you for the years of friendship and service you have given me. I know as my attendant you were well looked after in numerous ways but I would offer you one last parting gift. Not from a king to his loyal subject but as a friend who will dearly miss your company and cutting remarks about the courtiers that try too hard to play the game. 

Yuushi, who I suspect is reading over your shoulder, has my gift for you to thank you for everything. And no, you cannot return it or refuse to accept it. Is a gift freely given with the knowledge you will use it better than most. 

We wish you all the best with this new start in your life. 

With love,   
AK


End file.
